


To Wear a Shadow

by Bandgeek18



Series: Shadows and Arrows [2]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bruce Is Trying His Best, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Roy and Dick are brothers, Team as Family, Trauma Recovery, Villain Oliver Queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-08-25 06:40:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 42
Words: 224,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16656118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bandgeek18/pseuds/Bandgeek18
Summary: Two and a half years after getting attacked by Oliver, Roy's life has settled down a bit. Between therapy and his brother, it feels like he might actually have a handle on things.But Oliver is still out there, plotting revenge, and Roy's future remains uncertain. Becoming an adult is hard enough, but with so many challenges and enemies, Roy will need to fight for the life he deserves.





	1. Two Years Later

**Author's Note:**

> As promised, here's the sequel! It takes place during season 1. For anyone who hasn't read the first story, The Shadow of an Arrow, I highly recommend reading that one first, or the set-up of this story may be confusing. I have a couple of things to say/remind you guys...
> 
> 1\. Roy is not a clone. He is the one and only Roy Harper.
> 
> 2\. For many reasons, not every episode is in here. Some have been skipped, but all events of those episodes still take place off-screen. 
> 
> That being said, read on and enjoy the next installment.

The sound of laughter echoed around the Bat Cave and made Bruce sigh. “What’re you two doing?” he asked, not taking his eyes off his work. 

“Nothing!” Dick called back. 

Bruce sighed again. ‘Should I go look….or do I ignore them and hope nothing catches on fire?’ A loud crash! and another shout made the decision for him. Bruce got up and made his way to the archery range in the back of the cave. He found Dick laughing as he threw oranges in the air. Roy attempted to shoot them out of the air. It looked innocent enough….until Bruce saw that Roy had his eyes closed. “Roy, why are your eyes closed?”

“We’re trying to see if he can learn to shoot without looking!” Dick thew another orange, which Roy’s arrow clipped before it hit the wall of the cave and Dick backflipped to avoid. 

“What was that crash earlier?” 

“Oh, he almost hit me and I had to backflip to avoid it and I ran into one of the targets.”

Bruce sighed. “Stop this.”

“Why?”

“Because what you’re doing is impossible.”

“If anyone can figure it out it’s Roy.” 

“As true as that may be, it's dangerous.” Dick shrugged and Bruce briefly wondered how Roy could’ve gotten talked into this. “I have to leave for the League meeting. I expect you both to be ready for patrol when I get back.”

“Yes, Bruce,” the boys said at the same time. 

“Good.” 

Roy looked at Dick once Bruce left. “I told you it was a bad idea,” he said. 

Dick rolled his eyes. “You never know until you try, bro. Come on, we have a few hours before patrol. Let’s spar.”

“I have to fine tune some arrows.” 

“Just a few hours.” Dick did a handspring over Roy’s head and smirked as his older brother turned around. “Unless you’re scared?”

Roy sighed. “Fine. Just for a little bit.”

“Yes!” Dick cackled a little bit and ran off, Roy following right behind. 

— — 

“We have a problem,” Superman said as soon as the meeting started. 

“We should trademark that phrase,” Flash joked. Green Lantern gave him a high-five. 

“What kind of problem?” Batman asked. 

“G. Gordon Godfrey type problems,” Superman answered. There was a collective groan from everyone, including Batman. 

“Do we really have to talk about him?” Flash asked. “He’s full of hot air.”

“I know, but right now he’s causing us a lot of trouble. He’s going after the kids.” 

“What’s he saying about them?” Aquaman asked in confusion. 

Superman simply pulled up a video for all of them to see. It was a clip of G. Gordon Godfrey himself, in all his fancy suit and straight-faced glory. The clip started and the man in question gave the camera aa stern look like he was chastising it. “I have a question for the Justice League,” he began. 

“Is it how to get his head of out his ass?” Black Canary muttered under her breath.

“How do claim to stand for justice when one of the worst crimes recognized by the U.N. is committed by so many of your founding members?” The League gave each other looks of confusion; except for Batman who stared at the video, but Superman could tell he was annoyed. “I’m talking, of course, about your sidekicks. Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Arsenal.” as said their names, pictures of the young heroes appeared in space next to him. “We don’t know a lot about them, but we do know none of them are adults. Would you allow a child to become a soldier or a police officer? Of course not! The League is purposefully allowing these children to fight their battles. What good reason could the League have for this? They never allow the kids to be interviewed or photographed. It’s as if there’s something they want to hide from us. Ask yourselves, what could they have to hide? Perhaps that these kids aren’t participating willingly? Crime fighting is a good excuse for injuries-“

“Is he-“ Flash began but was shushed. 

“And before someone accuses me of overreacting, I’ll remind everyone that one of these sidekicks did go missing three years ago. The rogue Robin Hood known as Green Arrow had a sidekick that I can only presume was killed due to his sudden disappearance. That or the disappearance of one archer in Star and the appearance of another in Gotham a few months later was no coincidence. I’m not saying Batman kidnapped this kid-“

“Oh really?” Green Lantern asked, rolling his eyes. 

“But you can’t deny this isn’t a sign of something very wrong at work within the Justice League.” Superman stopped the video and everyone rolled their eyes. 

“He hasn’t gotten anywhere with us, so he decided to go after children,” Flash observed. “What a hero.”

“Allowing children to be associated with us was always a risk,” Wonder Woman told them, but looking directly at Batman. 

“Regardless, we have to do something,” Superman said. “We can’t have these ideas about forced vigilantism and kidnapping floating around.”

“What’re we supposed to do?” Aquaman asked. 

“I have an idea. Next week is the 4th of July. There’ll be a ton of tourists out in front of the Hall of Justice. I think it’d be a good idea for the three of you with proteges to been seen walking into it with the kids.”

“You want us to take the kids to the Hall of Justice?” Flash asked, brow furrowing. “They’ve seen the Watchtower though.”

“He wants us to do it for the show or it,” Batman explained, already figuring out Superman’s plan. “If the public sees us walking in with the kids and “entering a meeting” with them, it’ll put to rest any public concerns.”

“Just something to show the kids are responsible and we trust them,” Superman explained. “Plus it’ll give people chance to see them in daylight and the reporters can take pictures as you’re going in. We just need to seem transparent.”

“I suppose it could work,” Flash nodded. 

“We can do that,” Aquaman agreed. Everyone looked at Batman. 

“Robin and I will be there,” Batman said. 

“What about Arsenal?” Superman asked.

“What about him?”

“Aren’t you going to bring him too?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Wonder Woman asked. 

“Did you somehow miss Godfrey not so subtly implying you kidnapped him from Green Arrow?” Hawkman asked. 

“……He wasn’t exactly wrong about that….” Hal muttered quietly. 

“You never let him leave Gotham,” Flash added. 

“For his protection,” Batman answered. 

“Green Arrow won’t attack him in the Hall of Justice!” 

“I said no.”

“Just let him come, Batman,” Black Canary said. “Let him see Aqualad and Kid Flash.”

“It’ll just be for a few hours and they’ll be in the middle of the Hall of Justice,” Superman argued. “How much trouble could they possibly get into?” 

Batman thought back to the “experiment” Arsenal and Robin and been dong before he left. “You’d be surprised. Arsenal maybe 17, but he still listens to whatever Robin tells him and goes along with it.”

“Most of us will be there too,” Flash added. “We’ll be there to keep him safe. You never let him leave Gotham, you only let him leave your….property when he’s Arsenal, no one in the League besides Superman has seen him in 3 years… You’re starting to sound like Green Arrow with how much you control him.” Green Lantern put his head in his hands at the speedster. “Just give him a few hours.” 

Batman didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. Then, quietly, “Fine. Arsenal will be at the Hall of Justice next week with Robin and me.” Flash, Superman, and Black Canary all gave him looks of approval, which he shrugged off. He wasn’t looking for their approval. ‘My concern is what’s best for Arsenal. My job is to keep him safe. No matter what they think, keeping him in Gotham does that.’ 

— — 

When he returned to Gotham, Batman was met by full suited Robin and Arsenal in the Bat Cave. They wasted no time joining him on the Bat-mobile so the three of them could patrol. 

“Can Arsenal and I take a couple blocks alone?” Robin asked hopefully once they landed on the rooftops. 

“No,” Batman answered right away. “We have a case to work.”

Robin scowled a little bit. “You never let us go off alone.” Batman didn’t respond and Robin sighed and rolled his eyes. Arsenal didn’t voice any complaints.

“Review what we’re doing tonight,” Batman told both boys. 

“We’re staking out the music store on Grover Street because it might be a money laundering scheme for weapons trafficking,” Robin said immediately. 

“Once we see Patrick Morrison, we’re going to tail him and find his apartment,” Arsenal added. “Then we’ll go into his apartment to find more evince to link him to the weapons.” Batman didn’t verbally praise them, but they both caught the slight incline of his head, which they both took as a compliment. Upon arriving at the music store, Arsenal and Robin took up positions on buildings on either side of them and Batman positioned himself across the street. Arsenal settled down in the shadows and activated the night vision on his mask. He settled his bow on the rooftop by his feet and watched. The store was open 24 hours a day, but most people in Gotham weren’t interested in buying CD’s at 11:30 at night. A couple of teenagers stopped by, but they just seemed intent on normal teenage rebellion. 

“We’ll be so dead when our parents find out how we snuck out!” one of laughed loudly in the empty street. 

“It’ll be totally worth it!” his friend replied, just as loudly. “We’re 18, we gotta live a little before we graduate!” 

The archer couldn’t help but follow them with their eyes as they left, voices still echoing off the buildings. What kind id things would they do to live? Try drugs or alcohol? Hopefully not. What about kissing people they didn’t know at parties? Is that what teenagers did before finishing high school? Did all the teenagers in Gotham want to hang out in the streets until the sun came up? 

“What a couple of losers,” Robin’s voice said over the comms. “If they keep yelling like that they’ll definitely get caught.”

“Think so?” Arsenal responded.

“Of course. All they’ll do by hanging out in the streets is getting into trouble. They’re complete losers.”

“Right.” Arsenal looked back at the store. “Losers.” It was quiet after that for a while. No one came in or out of the store, and Arsenal was beginning to think no one would, but then a bunch of people did. First, a man with a visible wad of cash in his back pocket walked in and bought was Roy presumed was a box of CDs. Ten minutes after him, two women, also holding suspicious amounts of money, and walk out with not just Cd’s, but the two stacks each of the exact same CD. Five people later, Roy was pretty certain they’d confirmed the store was a front. 

“I have eyes on Morrison,” Batman said over the comms. “He’s entering the store.” Indeed, the man in question, average and clean cut, walked into the store. It was 15 minutes before Morrison left and the three Bats tailed him through Gotham. Thankfully he was on foot so they could follow from the rooftops. Arsenal ran beside Robin, with Batman shadowing them across the street. They followed Morrison for 10 city blocks before he disappeared into an apartment building. Batman joined Robin and Arsenal on the roof of said building. “We’ll wait until he leaves and then search his apartment.”

“Got it,” Robin and Arsenal answered at the same time. The three of them settled on the edge of the roof, hidden in the shadows, waiting for Morrison to leave.

“Robin, find out which apartment is his and find the window we need from the blueprints of the building.”

“Got it B!” Robin smiled. Arsenal glanced over at him every once in a while. An hour and a half later, Morrison finally left with the two women they’d seen earlier that evening. Once they were gone Robin and Arsenal slipped over the edge of the building. They free climbed down to the window they needed and slid it open. “Why does no one locks their windows?” 

“He lives on the top floor,” Arsenal replied. They switched off the night vision on their masks and started searching. By the time Batman joined them both teens were searching the apartment for any signs of weapons. Arsenal searched through cabinets in the kitchen. ‘Do these guys eat anything besides cereal?’ The thought made him stop for a moment and he opened one of the boxes. Next to the plastic bag of surgery cereal, was a few pieces of paper. He pulled them out and smiled. “I found something.”

“What do you have?” Robin bounded over to him, vaulting over the small table in the middle of the kitchen to reach him. 

“Papers connecting him to a bunch of small storehouses at the harbor.” He handed the papers he found to Batman, then he and Robin searched the other boxes for any more potential papers. Most of the boxes had papers declaring Morrison the owner of storage crates at the harbor. “Guess we know where he’s keeping the guns.” 

“And how they’re shipping them,” Robin added, pointed to another small stack of invoices for the CDs. He’d found the CD’s the women had bought from the store, and they matched the CDs on the invoices. 

“If we can find the guns themselves then the case would be tight against him,” Batman said as Robin and Arsenal put all the papers back. 

“Does that mean we’re searching their crates at the dock?” 

“Yes.” Normally, Batman would be bringing the two teens home, but it was summer so he could get away with letting them stay out a little later. He activated the Batmobile's autopilot and within 10 minutes, the three of them were heading for the harbor. 

“Why do all the bad guys keep their guns near the water?” Robin asked on the way. 

“They can throw them in the water if the police show up?” Arsenal suggested. “Or probably because it's too dangerous to move them through the city until they have a buyer.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

When they got to the harbor, the vigilantes disembarked and found the first of the storage crates in question. Batman picked the two padlocks keeping it shut and he and Arsenal pulled it open. Inside there were smaller crates. Night vision activated again, they searched through the crates. “I have handguns,” Arsenal said. 

“Same,” Robin agreed. The rest of the search yielded the same results. Arsenal and Batman shut the crate again and shut it, making sure to lock it back up afterward. 

“We have enough evidence,” Batman said, leading them back to the Bat-mobile. “I’ll inform Commissioner Gordon so he and his men can arrest Morrison.” 

“Do we have to go home now?” Robin asked. “Can’t we stay out a little longer?”

“It’s almost 2 am,” Arsenal told him. “We can’t patrol past that. Agent A says so.”

“Yes,” Batman agreed, “so let’s go home.”

“Are you going back out again after?” Robin asked as they got back into the Bat-mobile. 

“No, I don’t think I need to.” 

“Alright.” Robin sat back quietly, apparently satisfied he wasn’t going to miss anything important. 

— — 

Once they got back to the Bat Cave, Arsenal changed, showered, and put his bow and quiver away. He rolled his shoulders a little bit to dislodge the stiff feeling there. 

“Sore Master Roy?” Alfred asked. 

“A little bit,” Roy admitted. “I think I overdid it earlier when I was practicing.”

“You shouldn’t work so hard. Your archery is more than proficient sir.”

“I know, I just…It makes me feel better.” It was an awkward thing to admit. Practicing his archery could clam down a jittery, something-is-wrong, feeling he would get in his gut. 

“Is that a way Black Canary has thought you to handle anxiety?” 

“….No.” 

“You need to use your healthy coping strategies, sir.”

“I know, Alfred.” 

“Hi, Alfie!” Dick smiled, backflipping to them. 

“Good evening Master Dick,” Alfred replied. “I believe it is time you two were in bed.”

“Yes, Alfred,” the boys said in unison. 

“Roy, Dick,” Bruce said, joining the group. “Next week, on the 4th, we’ll be going to the Hall of Justice.”

“We?” Roy asked in confusion. “As in, all three of us?”

“Yes, all three of us. Kid Flash and Aqualad will be there too.”

“Why?”

“Who cares why,” Dick said, elbowing him. “We get to see the league and Aqualad and Kid Flash.” Roy nodded. 

“Off to bed now,” Alfred said, shooing them upstairs. “It's late.”

“Night Bruce, Night Alfred,” Dick said before he went upstairs. 

Bruce noticed Roy hesitating. “Something wrong, Roy?” he asked.

“No,” Roy said quickly. 

“Is something bothering you?”

“No…” The lack of condition in his voice convinced Bruce that it was a lie. 

“What’s bothering you? Don’t say it’s nothing.”

“I’m just….a little nervous to leave Gotham I guess.” He hadn’t left the city in almost three years, not since the night he’d been attacked by Green Arrow. His hand touched the light scar on his face that was leftover from the incident.

“If you don’t want to go that’s fine, Roy. I won’t be mad.”

“I do, I’m just….Nervous about leaving.”

“It’ll only be for a couple hours and I’ll be right there. So will Dick and the rest of the Justice League. You’ll be perfectly safe.” 

Roy nodded. “Ok. Good night.” He went upstairs, still obviously nervous. It felt like his chest had contracted an inch on his lungs and his muscles were tensing up all over his body. As soon as he was in his room Roy shut the door and laid down on the floor. He focused on the point here four ceiling tiles met and began his deep breathing. “I am feeling anxious right now, but I am okay. This feeling will pass, and no harm will come to me. I am safe, even though I feel frightened,” he said quietly, inhaling and exhaling with each sentence. “I will soon be calm, even though I am experiencing anxiety right now. I will get through this. I am making myself as comfortable as possible while I wait for the anxiety to decrease. I can help myself to become gradually more calm and relaxed until this feeling passes.” He began to clench and hone relax all of his muscles, starting at his toes. Then, he repeated more breathing and talking to himself before shaking out his limbs. The whole process took him 10 minutes, but it felt worth it when he sat up and wasn’t as anxious anymore. “It’ll be ok,” he said as he got ready for bed. “It’ll be ok.” 

When he went to bed Roy was still nervous about the next week, but he was a lot less anxious than he had been before.


	2. Independence Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter. Enjoy!

When Roy woke up on the 4th, he was mildly surprised to see Dick curled up next to him in his bed. It’d bee a while since he’d had really terrifying nightmares that required his younger brother to make better. Still, sometimes when he woke up Dick was curled against his side, sometimes around his arm like a koala. ‘He probably had a nightmare last night,’ Roy thought. The past year Dick had made a point of not needing anyone to help when he was upset and his grieving seemed to be less pronounced. Still, he was only 13 and Roy wasn’t terribly disturbed by finding him in his bed. In fact, a smile crept across his face and he grabbed the blanket Dick was curled up on. The 13-year-old was curled up, practically in a ball, with his head resting on one arm. Roy kept a tight grip on the blanket and jerked it out from under his brother. 

“Oof!” Dick grunted when he hit the ground. He sat up and had to pull himself up with one arm. He glared at Roy, who was laughing at him. 

“Good morning,” Roy smiled. 

“You threw me off the bed!”

“I didn’t throw you! I….kind of rolled you?”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Not feeling the aster.”

“I see that dictionary I gave you is getting some good use.” 

“Oh yeah. It’s good to know more about the English language so I can find new ways to improve it.”

“Whatever.”

“Hey!” Dick bounced onto the bed with one smooth motion and sat cross-legged as Roy got up. “Today’s the day!”

“The day?” Roy asked as he stretched his arms over his head. 

“Yeah, the day! We’re going to the Hall of Justice! With Wally and Kaldur’ahm.”

“Oh, right…”

“You don’t sound too thrilled.”

“I’m just…nervous.”

Dick frowned. “Why? What is there to be nervous about?”

“…..I don’t know. All those people and leaving Gotham…” He kept his back turned as he wrung his hands. “I haven’t left Gotham in three years. O- Green Arrow-“

“Will be nowhere near the Hall of Justice today. He’d have to be stupid to go anywhere near the Justice League.” 

“I know.”

“Then don’t worry. The League will keep us safe. It’ll be fine, you’ll see.” Dick somersaulted off the bed and crossed his arms. “Now, I have to get dressed. We’re leaving in a few hours!” 

“Right,” Roy said once Dick had left and his door was shut. “We’re leaving. I’m leaving Gotham for the first time in two and a half years.” This should be fun.

— —

“We’re leaving,” Batman said to Robin and Arsenal, who were working on their weapons in the Bat Cave. 

“I thought we were zeta-ing to DC at noon?” Robin asked. “It’s only 11:30.”

“Mister Freeze and Icicle Jr were seen in Gotham Park.”

“What’s Icicle Jr doing in Gotham?”

“Unknown at this time, but we need to go take care of this situation before we leave.”

“Ugh! Why do the villains always choose the worst times?” He closed the compartment on his belt he’d been working on and stood up to put it on. Arsenal rolled his eyes as he set aside the newest trick arrow he’d been building. 

“Arsenal, I want you to take down Icicle Jr. Robin and I will take Mister Freeze.”

“You want me to take Icicle Jr alone?” Arsenal asked, stopping with his quiver halfway on. 

“Yes. He’s still a small fish in this area and shouldn’t be much of a threat.” 

“Right.” He finished putting his quiver on and tightened it before grabbing his bow. ‘I can do this. I can do this.’ Unfortunately, the ride to Gotham park wasn’t nearly long enough to convince him of that. The group split up and Arsenal went looking for the ice villain. It didn’t take long before he could hear the sounds of screams and he ran towards them. He ran uproot a big rock to use as a vantage point just as Icicle Jr swung his arm and icicles shot out at the civilians. Arsenal shot a warning arrow near his feet. 

“Finally!” Icicle Jr yelled, like an impatient child. “I was wondering a guy has to do to get a little attention around here!” 

“Junior’s doing this for attention?” Arsenal wondered as he shot exploding arrows at the giant pieces of ice that were thrown his way. He had to quickly change tactics though and dodge to the side to avoid smaller ones that were coming for him. ‘This little distraction better not interfere.’ He shot another arrow and dodged more ice. ‘If I have to listen to Dick whine all day and night because we missed going to the Hall of Justice….’ Arsenal jumped down from the rock and shot more explosive arrows at the reforming ice on Jr. Icicle stumbled back with the force of the explosions, but was relatively unharmed. He snarled and fired back with even more ice, even creating a shield n front of himself. 

Arsenal jumped in the air and fired serval arrows in rapid succession. They hit the wall of ice and blew a hole in it. Once he was in the air though, Arsenal flipped and took out an extremely hard arrowhead. He aimed for only a second and fired. The arrow Icicle Jr in the side of the face and knocked him backward onto the ground. Arsenal ran over too, moving around the ice shield to check on him. He knelt down and checked the villain for any potential major injuries. ‘He looks fine.’ The sound of sirens got the vigilante’s attention and he stood up. 

Commissioner Gordon approached the teen, looking surprised to see him. “Arsenal,” he said in greeting. “I should’ve figured you’d be here. Where’re Batman and Robin?” 

“Taking care of Mister Freeze,” Arsenal replied, watching the officers handcuffing Icicle Jr and putting an inhibitor collar around his neck from the corner of his eye. 

“I think he’s on the west side of the park.”

“I should head over there to see if they need help.”

“We’ll see you over there.” Confident that Gordon would take care of the villain, Arsenal sprinted for the other side of the park. When he got there though, he discovered Batman and Robin and already taken care of the problem. Mister Freeze was laying on the ground, the helmet to his cold suit cracked and Batman standing over him, clearly standing guard. Robin was staring a few feet away, arms crossed impatiently. 

“Icicle Jr has been taken care of?” Batman asked as Arsenal approached. 

“Yes, Commissioner Gordon and his men are cuffing him. He’s coming her here when they’re done,” Arsenal reported. Batman nodded, which the archer hoped was a sign he did a good job. 

“Can Commissioner Gordon hurry up?!” Robin asked. 

“Patience, Robin,” Batman told him, not at all phased by his younger teammate’s attitude. 

“We’re supposed to be going to the Hall of Justice! Kid Flash will be gone by the time we get there at this rate!”

“And Aqualad,” Arsenal added. 

“Sure, him too.”

“They won’t, believe me,” Batman assured Robin. ‘I don’t see the point in this whole publicity stunt if the two of them aren’t there anyway.’ After what felt like an eternity to Robin, but was actually 15 minutes, Commissioner Gordon joined them. Robin practically bounded away, only to be stopped by Arsenal, who snagged his cape. Robin gave him a petulant look, but Arsenal nodded to Batman, who hadn’t moved and was talking to Gordon. The younger vigilante groaned and crossed his arms again. After a brief, although it didn’t feel like it Robin, conversation between the two men, Batman joined the teens. 

“Now are we leaving?” Robin asked hopefully. 

“Yes.” Robin whooped and did a back-handspring, then took off running in the direction of the Bat-mobile. Arsenal shook his head as he and Batman followed at a slower pace. By the time they actually got to the Bat-mobile Robin was leaning against it and had crossed his arm impatiently again. The ride to the zeta was filled with excitement from Robin. Arsenal was quiet but calm, so Batman didn’t push him. Once they arrived, Robin barely waited for Batman to authorize them before he pulled Arsenal through. 

“Robin, B01.”

“Arsenal, B04.” 

When they emerged in D.C., they were blocks away from the Hall of Justice. Robin grinned and they snuck along in the shadows unit they eventually had to emerge into the sunlight. Several yards away from the front of the Hall, Aquaman and Aqualad were waiting for them. Arsenal smiled when he saw Aqualad, who smiled in return. 

“Greetings Arsenal,” Aqualad said. “It has been a long time.”

“I know,”” Arsenal replied. “How’s it been?”

“It has been good. You?”

“Been good.” Robin rolled his eyes at how awkward the two of them were. Batman put his hand on the bird’s shoulder. 

“Don’t make fun of him,” he whispered. Robin hummed back. 

“Oh man!” They heard Kid Flash before they saw him. He and Flash zoomed up to the group and stopped just a few feet short of them. “I knew we’d be the last ones here!” 

“Figured the one’s with superspeed would lag behind,” Robin teased. 

“Dude!” Kid Flash ran forward and flicked his head. “Rude!”

“Let’s go, shall we?” Aquaman suggested before the flicking could become something more between the two. 

“Let’s.” Batman agreed. The sooner they got this show over with and he got Arsenal back to Gotham, the better. He corralled Arsenal and Robin to himself and they walked toward the Hall of Justice. At first, people didn’t seem to ice them, but once a few tourists saw them, it didn’t take long for the rest to follow. Arsenal’s heart pounded a little at so many people staring and he squeezed his bow to ground himself. 

“Whoa, is that Batman?!” someone yelled in astonishment. 

“I see Flash and Flash Jr!” someone shouted in the crowd. 

“No, his name is Speedy!” someone else shouted back, possibly from the other side of the crowd. Arsenal’s breath hitched and he flinched a little, which the heroes around him noticed. 

“I thought Speedy was Green Arrow’s sidekick!” a third person yelled in confusion. Arsenal let out a small squeak and Batman sighed. 

‘Fantastic idea Clark,’ he thought. ‘Just great.’ 

Arsenal blinked as the sounds were all suddenly too loud and the camera flashes were too bright. The sun was too hot, everything just just….too much. Robin was going to reach out for him, but Aqualad beat him to it. Robin blinked in surprise.

“Arsenal looks a little overwhelmed,” Kid Flash whispered to Robin. 

“He’s overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed,” Robin uttered. “Why isn’t anybody ever just whelmed?” Arsenal meanwhile, was grateful for the contact, because someone gently touching his hand gave him something to focus on. It kept him calm enough to get inside. Once there, they saw the imposing statues of the founding members and Kid Flash smiled at Robin. 

“Maybe that’s why.” Robin tried to elbow him as the metal, double-doors opened. Red Tornado and Martian Manhunter were there to greet them. 

“Robin, Arsenal, Aqualad, Kid Flash,” Martian Manhunter said stoically, “Welcome to the Hall of Justice. This way.” Arsenal felt himself breath a little easier once they were away from the prying eyes of the tourists. He felt himself missing the shadows of Gotham. No one was calling ‘Speedy’ there. “This is our library.” 

“Make yourselves at home,” Flash told them. “The hard part is over now.” 

Kid Flash and Robin flopped down into chairs, while Aqualad turned to Arsenal. “Are you ok?” he asked quietly. 

“I-I think so…” Arsenal replied even quieter. “I just…. Someone said Speedy and then Green Arrow-“

“It’s ok my friend. Green Arrow is not here and we are in one of the safest buildings in the country with the best heroes in the world. You are safer here than anywhere else.” 

Arsenal wanted to argue that back at Wayne Manor was the safest place in the world. He appreciated Aqualad’s attempts to calm him down though, so he forced himself to breathe and focus. “Ok, ok.” 

“That went well,” Flash obscured as the League members clustered together. 

“Arsenal almost had a panic attack,” Batman said. 

“…..but no one died, so objectively….”

“I would suggest you stop,” Aquaman said. 

“We need to discuss the fact that four ice villains all attacked on the same day,” Batman said to the four teens. “Leave this room and don’t get into trouble.”

“Us, get into trouble?” Robin asked with an innocent smile. “Never.” Batman silly stared at him for a moment, before looking at Arsenal.”

“Arsenal, will you be ok?”

“Yes, Batman,” Arsenal said, despite feeling like his skeleton might disassemble at any moment. Before the League members could go to their meeting though, a screen on the wall suddenly showed Superman’s face. 

“Superman to Justice League,” Superman said urgently. “There’s been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It’s on fire.” 

“I’ve had my suspicions about Project Cadmus,” Batman replied, the ice villains now apparently forgotten. “This may provide the perfect opportunity to-“

“Zatara to Justice League,” said another man who appeared in a smaller screen. The four teens were now staring raptly at the screen. “The Sorcerer of Wotan is attempting to use the Amulet of Aten to blot out the sun! requesting full League response.”

“Superman?”

“It’s a small fire,” Superman replied. “The authorities have it under control.”

“Then Cadmus can wait.” He pushed a button on the keyboard. “All Leaguers rendezvous at these coordinates. Batman out.” He turned around to face the teens, who’d walked closer. “Stay put.”

“What?” Robin asked. “Why?”

“This is a League mission,” Aquaman explained. 

“You’re not trained,” Flash added. 

“Since when?!” Kid Flash demanded. 

“I meant you’re not trained to be a part of this team.” Flash gestured to himself, Batman, and Aquaman. 

“There will be other missions in the future,” Aquaman assured them. 

“For now,” Batman said. “Stay. Put.” They walked away and Kid Flash crossed his arms. 

“Glad you didn’t bring you-know-who?” Flash asked Martian Manhunter quietly. 

“Indeed,” Martian Manhunter replied. 

Once the League members were gone, Kid Flash sighed. “Who we’re ready?!” he demanded. “How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like side-kicks?!” Arsenal noticed that even Aqualad looked distressed, or distressed for him. 

“My king, my own mentor, doesn’t trust me,” Aqualad said quietly. Arsenal put his hand on his shoulder. 

“The trusted us four years ago! They have a secret base in space that we’ve been on! Why can’t we go on missions with them!” 

“Maybe they just want to protect us,” Arsenal suggested, but Robin glared at him, making him shut up quickly. 

“Batman has trusted me with serious stuff before, and solo,” he said, staring Arsenal down to convey what he was referring to. “How is this any different?” 

“What is Project Cadmus?” Aqualad asked. 

“I don’t know.” He smiled suddenly. “But I can find out.” 

“Uh…Robin,” Arsenal said as his brother went over to the computer. “I don’t think you should-“

“Access denied,” said the automated voice. 

“See?”

“Ha!” Robin glanced back at him, a family smirk on his lips. The kind f smirk he got when Arsenal bet he couldn’t do four flips. “Wanna bet?” Arsenal sighed and shook his head as he joined Aqualad and Kid Flash besides him. The screen turned green and scrolled through information at fast speeds. 

“How are you doing that?” Kid Flash asked. 

“Same system as the Bat Cave.” The watched as the red, ‘Access Denied’ messaged suddenly changed to green. 

“Access granted,” the automated voice said. It showed them a picture of a building. 

“Alight, Project Cadmus is here in DC. That’s all there is. But if Batman’s suspicious I think we should investigate.”

“Solve their case before they do,” Aqualad smiled. “It would be poetic justice.”

“And they are all about justice.”

“Uh…no?” Arsenal suggested. 

“They did say stay put,” Aqualad pointed out. 

“About the blotting out the sun mission, not this.”

“Wait, are you going to Cadmus,” Kid Flash said, putting his hand on Robin’s shoulder. “Because if you’re going, I’m going!” They both smiled at Arsenal and Aqualad, who sighed. 

“Just like that? We’re a team on a mission?” Aqualad asked. 

“Better than just having a playdate,” Robin replied. He looked at Arsenal. “Come on, it’ll be easy.”

“Easy or not, Batman will be furious with us,” Arsenal argued. He swallowed. “We can’t-“

“We can! Look, stay here and be Batman’s sidekick and hide behind his cape forever if you want, but we’re going to Cadmus to prove we’re capable of more. You said you wanted to join the Justice League someday, don’t you think we should start trying to be like them?” Arsenal sighed. Clearly, Robin was determined to go. Which made Arsenal realize he had to go to watch his little brother's back. 

“Fine,” he sighed. “Let’s go.” Robin and Kid Flash whooped as the former jumped on the letters back’s and he ran for the doors. “This is such a bad idea.”

“We will be fine my friend,” Aqualad assured him. “Robin is right. We must act as the League if we wish to be taken seriously.”

“Believe me, acting like your mentor isn’t always the best thing.” He looked at the doors. “We should join them before they start the mission without us.”

“Indeed.”

— — 

They could hear the sirens long before reaching the building. Arsenal and Aqualad watched as Kid Flash ran ahead to grab to scientists that were blown out of the building from a window. Luckily, the young speedster managed to catch himself, but Arsenal still rolled his eyes. 

“So smooth,” Robin chuckled. 

“Does he always have to run ahead?” Aqualad asked. “We need a plan, we- Robin?” he looked around and realized the young bird was gone. Robin’s cackle reached them and they watched him climb the firetruck and swing into the window of the building. “Does he do that often?”

“Yes and he’ll continue to do it until Batman remembers to put a leash on him,” Arsenal replied. 

“We need to save those men.”

“Let’s go then.” 

The two of them ran towards the building. “I need to borrow that.” Aqualad took his water bearers off and Arsenal shot his grapple arrow at the building. He jumped up with the jerk and landed on top of the building with a flip. 

“You guys ok?” he asked. Both men nodded just as Aqualad rose up to them on a circle of water. 

“Get on.” 

Arenal lowered himself down inside the window and waited for Aqualad. He watched as the bubble of water around the two scientists fell apart. “Take long enough?” 

Aqualad smiled a little bit and they jumped down into the room. “Appreciate the help.” 

“Hey, you had it,” Robin said, not taking his eyes off the screen he was typing away at. Arsenal rolled his eyes and put his hand on Robin’s head to push it forward a little bit. “Besides, we’re here to investigate. We wanted Justice, remember?” 

Arsenal followed Aqualad out of the room and into the hall. He turned his head his eyes narrowed he caught the elevator doors closing. “Is that…”

“What is that?”

“There’s something in the elevator.” Kid Flash and Robin ran out to join them. 

“All the elevators should be shut down,” Kid Flash said. 

“So why was this one not?” Aqualad asked. 

“Let’s find out,” Arsenal said, following right behind Robin. 

“This is wrong,” Robin frowned. He pulled a thematic on his holo love. “Thought so.”

“What?” Kid Flash asked. 

“It’s a high-speed express elevator,” Arsenal translated, looking over Robin’s shoulder. “It doesn’t belong in a two-story building.”

“Neither does what we saw,” Aqualad said. He stepped forward and single-handedly pulled the elevator doors apart. Arsenal smiled in surprise, but also pride in his friend’s amazing strength. Once they looked inside the shaft though, his smile dropped into a suspicious frown. The shaft was so deep they couldn’t see the bottom.

“And that’s why they needed the express elevator,” Robin smirked, kneeling down. 

“What’d you think is down there?” Kid Flash asked. 

“Whatever it is, I think we should call the League,” Arsenal said. 

“No way,” Robin said. He stood up suddenly shot his grappling hook at the top of the shaft. “Coming?” Arsenal sighed, but simply wrapped his arms around the younger teen’s shoulders. His bow was pressed against Robin’s chest in his attempt not to poke him. His knees were bent due to the highest difference between them. In perfect unison, the two of them jumped in the air and slid down the grappling line into the shaft. However, they only made it to SL 26 before jerking to a stop. “We’re at the end of our rope.” With Arsenal still holding onto him, the two of them swung back and forth until they had enough momentum. Robin let go and grabbed onto a metal beam on the ledge. Arsenal let go and crept sideways away from him. They waited as Kid Flash and Aqualad joined them. Arsenal looked over Robin’s shoulder as he shut down the security. 

‘Batman is so going to regret forcing him to learn how to code,’ Arsenal thought as he watched the Robin-heads turn from red to green. 

“Bypassing security…ok, go ahead.” Aqualad pulled the doors open again and they walked through. “Welcome to Project Cadmus…” Kid Flash ran ahead, much to Arsenal’s annoyance. Why didn’t speedsters have off buttons? 

“Kid, wait—” Aqualad called, but it was too late. Kid Flash turned a corner and a loud thumping sound reached them. 

“What did he do?” Arsenal muttered as they ran after him. They stopped suddenly when they saw the…elephant-monster-things? Kid Flash zoomed over to them and the four them stood there in shock. ‘Are those….little aliens on top of them?’ One of the tiny creatures looked at them and its horns glowed.

“No, nothing odd going on here.” 

“Uh-huh.”

“Come on,” Robin said, leading them down the hall. Arsenal made sure to stick close to him. They soon came to another locked door and it didn’t take long for Robin to open it. Their eyes widened. “Well, I’m pretty much whelmed.” They walked in and Arsenal frowned as he looked at the giant bugs lighting up the jars. 

“What-“

“This is how they hide this giant, underground facility from the world,” Kid Flash explained. The others looked at him. “The real Cadmus is down here and off the grid. It generates its own power with these…things. Must be what they’re bred for.” 

“Even their name is a clue,” Aqualad said. “The Cadmus of myth created a new race by sewing dragons teeth into the earth.”

“And this Cadmus creates new life too,” Robin said. 

“Not creepy at all…” Arsenal muttered. 

“Let’s figure out why.” Robin plugged his holo love into a nearby computer. Arsenal once again looked over his shoulder. “It looks like they’re called genomorphs. Look at the stats on these things! Telepathy…Super strength…razor claws…. These are living weapons!”

“They’re engineering an army,” Kid Flash said, although it sounded more like a guess. “But for who?”

“Wait, there’s something else.”

“Project KR?” Arsenal asked. 

“Ugh! The file’s still encrypted!” Robin sighed. “I can’t-“

“Don’t move!” someone shouted. Arsenal reacted instantly and drew an arrow from his quiver and put it on the bowstring. A man ran, in surrounded by genomorphs. He stooped, shocked when he saw them. “Wait, Robin, Arsenal, Aqualad, Kid Flash?”

“At least he got your name right.” 

“I know you,” Arsenal said, searching his mind for the right answer. 

“Guardian,” Aqualad supplied. He looked at the man. “A hero.”

“I do my best,” Guardian said. 

“Then what’re you doing here?” Arsenal asked, still holding his bow and arrow down, but ready. 

“I’m chief of security here. You’re trespassing, though we can call the Justice League now.”

“You think the League’s going to approve of you breeding weapons?!” Kid Flash demanded. 

“Weapons…? What’re you?” Arsenal and Robin’s eyes narrowed when they saw the genomproh’s horns glow as it looked at Guardian and he stopped talking. “What have I….? Uh….my head.” He suddenly snapped out of it and glared. “Take them down hard! No mercy!” 

The genomorphs attacked. Robin jumped in front and threw a smoke bomb. Arsenal shot his arrow in Guardians general direction and wrapped one arm around Robin’s shoulders as the younger teen shot his grappling hook at a beam. They were lifted out of the smoke and pulled himself up onto the beam, then pulled Robin up. They watched as Kid Flash jumped off of walls to throw them off. Aqualad thew one off his back and Arsenal shot an electroshock arrow at it to keep it down. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to warn Aqualad before Guardian charged him and shoulder threw him into a wall. Arsenal winced and trained an arrow on the pair, waiting for them to be still for a moment, He got his chance a second later when Guardian pinned Aqualad to a wall and he shot another electroshock arrow at the Leaguer. It hit the thin area under his head, in the exposed neck, and sent him slack long enough for Aqualad to thew him off. He jumped down and rolled to break his fall. 

“This way!” he shouted, running in the direction he’d seen Robin run off to earlier.

Kid Flash ran ahead and stopped next to the boy wonder. “Way to be a team player, Rob!” he snapped. 

“What? I thought you were right behind me,” Robin said as he got the door open. 

“Is he always like this?” Aqualad hissed at Arsenal as they ran.

“Always,” Arsenal confirmed as they reach the doors. The two of them managed to get inside just as the door just again. They watched the numbers on the elevator going in the wrong direction.

“We’re going down?!”

“Out is up!” Arsenal told Robin. 

“Excuse me? Project KR is down, on sub-level 52.”

“This is out of control,” Aqualad said, rubbing his head nervously. “Perhaps…perhaps we should contact the League.”

“Yes,” Arsenal agreed, glad someone was finally listening to him. “We need to call the League for help. This is way above what any of us signed up for!” Robin and Kid Flash hesitated, clearly considering it. They reached SL 52 and the doors opened. The four of them tensed, ready for a fight. Once it was apparent they were just staring at an empty cave, Robin ran out. 

“Well, we are already here,” Kid Flash said right before he followed. 

Aqualad sighed, but before he followed, Arsenal grabbed his hand. “Aqualad, I have a bad feeling about this,” the archer said. 

“What kind of bad feeling?” Aqualad asked. “Your normal bad feelings?”

“Yes…but something else too. I don’t know. Something is just off about this place.”

“I agree, but we cannot allow Robin and Kid Flash to go on alone. Robin is your brother and Kid Flash is our friend.”

“I know.”

“Whatever happens, Arsenal, I will have your back.”

“I know. Thanks.” He sighed took a deep breath and nocked an arrow. “Ok, let’s go.” They followed Robin and Kid Flash to a fork in the tunnels. “Which way?” 

“Yeah,” Robin scoffed. “Bizarre looking hallway one, of bizarre looking hallway two?”

“Ho!” someone shouted. A tall, thin genomorph came down one of the halls towards them. His horns glowed and his lifted his hand to levitate two barrels in the air and throw them at the young heroes. They exploded above them as Robin threw a bat-a-rang and Arsenal shot his arrow. Unfortunately, he managed to stop both items without even moving. The group ran off down the opposite tunnel, Arsenal looking back to shoot arrows. They ducked as more barrels were thrown at them. They turned a corner to find a door marked Project Kr closing. Kid Flash laying on the ground like he’d tripped, and a woman in a white lab coat also laying on the ground. Kid Flash got up and grabbed something heavy to brace the door. 

“Come one! Hurry!” he shouted. Kid flash jumped into the room, Robin and Aqualad right behind him. Aqualad turned back to see the genomorphs and Guardian gaining on Arsenal. He opens his mouth, but before he could shout Arsenal turned back to far enough to shoot a smoke bomb arrow and make to the door. Aqualad waited for Arsenal to jump through before he kicked away the metal thing bracing the door. The heavy door snapped shut and they turned to Robin. 

“I disabled the door,” the bird said. “We’re safe.”

“You mean trapped?” Aqualad asked. 

“Just great…” Arsenal muttered, putting his bow on his back so he could rub his arm nervously. “Trapped… I can’t believe-”

“Uh guys,” Kid Flash said. “You might wanna see this.” He pushed a button on the console in front of him and a pod in the middle of the room lit up. The other three moved to stand next to him and their mouths dropped open. 

“Whoa…” Robin breathed. There was someone in the pod. A teenager who looked exactly like Superman in a white bodysuit. 

“Big K, little r.” Kid Flash walked around the console and stood in front of the pod. “The atomic symbol fro Krypton.” He looked back at them. “Clone?” 

“Robin,” Arsenal said, looking at the younger teen. “Hack.”

“Right, right,” Robin replied, plugging into the computer. A few keystrokes later, he had the information pulled up. “Weapons designation Superboy. A clone force grown in 16 weeks?! From DNA acquired from Superman.”

“Stolen from Superman,” Aqualad corrected. 

“No way the big guy knows about this,” Kid Flash agreed. 

“Solar suit allows him to absorb yellow sun radiation 24/7,” Arsenal read over Robin’s shoulder. 

“And these creatures?” Aqualad asked, pointing to the genomorphs in the picture. 

“Genmorph gnomes,” Robin explained. “Telepathic. Force feeding him an education.”

“And we can guess what else,” Kid Flash said. “They’re making a slave out of…Superman’s…son.”

“Now we contact the League,” Aqualad said, pressing the insignia on his belt so it glowed. 

“Agreed,” Arsenal said, going for his comm. He frowned. “No signal.”

“We’re in too deep,” Kid Flash said. “Literally.” 

Arsenal glared. “Not the time for jokes, Kid. What’re we going to do? We’re trapped in this cave with the Superman clone and-and-“

“Calm down,” Robin assured him. He reached output his hand on Arsenal’s arm, but the archer flinched and pushed it off. Robin sighed. He could tell his older brother wasn’t handling this whole trapped and in imminent danger thing well. 

“This is wrong,” Kid Flash said, glancing back at the pod. 

“We can’t leave him like this.”

“No,” Arsenal agreed. Despite his own panic about the situation, he knew it would be wrong for them to leave this…Superboy alone. He couldn’t help the protecting feeling his gut he got when thought about kids being left alone with adults trying to exploit them. 

“Set him free,” Aqualad said. “Do it.” Robin didn’t even nod as he pulled up his hologlove again. A few keystrokes later, the pod opened up. The Superboy opens a closed his fist, which made Aqualad nervous. Then his eyes opened and the Atlantean relaxed slightly. Then he threw himself out of the pod and knocked Aqualad across the room at superspeed. He punched him twice before the other three got to him. Arsenal and Kid flash grabbed his fist while Robin grabbed his neck. 

“Whoa!” Kid Flash grunted. “Hang…on…Supey. We’re…on…your…side- uh!” Superboy punched Kid flash, knocking him across the room. His arm moved at such momentum it threw Arsenal to the other side of the room. He crashed into equipment, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He winced as rib audibly cracked and one of his arms bent awkwardly and painfully. His head was throbbing painfully. Kid Flash meanwhile had crashed through something glass and was unconscious. 

“I don’t want to have to do this,” Robin said, setting off a smoke bomb in Superboy’s face. It distracted him long enough to distract Superboy and Aqualad kick him into the computer. Robin shot his taser at him, but Superboy simply grabbed the wires and dragged the small vigilante forward. He threw Robin on the ground and put his foot on his chest. 

“Robin!” Arsenal grunted, hearing his brother’s pained gasps. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and tried to locate his bow, which had been knocked out of his hand. 

“Enough!” Aqualad yelled, swinging a giant hammer he’d created with his water bearers. He hit just after Arsenal’s knock-out arrow, which had stunned Superboy, allowing Aqualad to knock him back into the pod. 

Arsenal hurried to Robin’s side. “Are you ok?” he asked as he helped him sit up. 

“Ugh!” Robin groaned. He dropped back down and a spike of panic and concern went through Arsenal. Superboy approached them and Aqualad stood in front of the two vigilante’s while Arsenal nocked an arrow demo his kneeling position. 

“Stop!” Aqualad shouted, holding his hand out. “We are trying to help you.” Superboy simply attacked again, but this time Aqualad was able to dodge. He dodged to one side and tackled Superboy into a wall. He tried to punch him, but Superboy caught his fist and kicked him back. “Arsenal!” Aqualad ducked under a punch. “I need help!” Arsenal watched for a second as he traded blows with Superboy before he shot an electroshock arrow. It hit Superboy and then Aqualad wrapped his arms around the clone’s shoulders and summoned his own electricity. The force of the double-shock stunned Superboy fro only a few moments before he jumped up; effectively ramming Aqualad into the ceiling. Rocks fell around them and he did it a second time, knocking the Atlantean unconscious. 

“Aqualad!” Arsenal yelled. Superboy looked at him and the archer swallowed. He shot a glue arrow at the clone’s feet, It hardened road the lower half of his body. Superboy looked at it for a moment before raising a fist and hitting it. Arsenal pulled another glue arrow from his quiver and shot it just as Superbly’s fist came down on the hardened glue again. This also took quick effect, causing Arsenal to breathe a moment of relief. The moment didn’t last long though, as Superboy seemed to grow frustrated and angry at the lack of movement. 

“Ahh!” he yelled, break free of the glue, sending small shards of it everywhere. He ran at Arsenal before the teen could blink and grabbed his bow. Arsenal was strong, but he was no match for an enraged Superman clone. Superboy jerked the bow from his grasp easily and pushed Arsenal back. He looked the weapon over as if trying to gauge it’s threat level to him, before taking it in both and snapping it over his knee. 

“No!” Arsenal shouted, reaching out for it. He felt winded for the second time in the last 10 minutes. He only had the feeling for a moment though before a fist swung into his field of vision and pain exploded through his skull, then it was lights out.


	3. Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! Enjoy and leave a comment or kudos if you did.

Deep underneath Washington DC, a nervous scientist paced as he waited for his request for an audience to be granted. He walked over the middle of a circle on the floor. He took a breath as minors lowered, surrounding him in a circle. As they did the lights automatically went down, leaven him in only a mall circle of light. The whole process was intimidating, which he supposed was the point. A figure of flight appeared on each screen around him. 

“Dr. Desmond,” one of the light figures said. “You require an audience with The Light?”

“Yes,” Dr. Desmond confirmed, trying to sound confident. “I’m sorry to disturb you at this late hour-“

“Just get to the point,” the figure in the monitor on his left said. 

“Of course.” He cleared his throat. “Well, we had a small fire here at Project Cadmus, the origin of the incident remains unclear but it seems to have attracted some…unwanted attention. Four side-kicks, Robin, Arsenal, Aqualad, and Kid Flash breached security. They found Project Kr and related the superweapon. The Superboy. Of course, the clone is under our telepathic control and, as ordered, turned against his would-be liberators. The four are contained and we don’t believe the League knows that they’re here. Uh…what should I do with them?” 

There was a moment of silence before, “Clone them,” said the first figure. “The substitutes will serve The Light and only The Light.”

“And the originals?” 

“Dispose of them. Leave no trace.”

“Except for Arsenal,” the second figure added. “Keep him well sedated and restrained, then move him to another facility. We have an associate who has unfinished business with him.”

“As you wish,” Dr. Desmond responded with a smile. 

— — 

In another part of the Cadmus facility, Robin, Arsenal, Kid Flash, and Aqualad were restrained in containment pods and still unconscious. “Time runs short,” a deep voice side suddenly in their heads. “You must wake up. You must awaken now!” The four of them opened their eyes and gasped as they picked their heads up. 

Arsenal his heart rate picked up at the feeling of being unable to move, and then his brain picked up on the fact he was confined in a small space. ‘Calm down, calm down, calm down.’ That was when he noticed Superboy standing in front of the pods and staring at them. 

“What- What do you want?!” Kid Flash demanded. Superboy didn’t respond and merely continued to stare. “Quit staring, you’re freaking me out!”

“Uh, KF,” Robin said, “how about we don’t tick off the guy who can kill us with a look?” He could hear Arsenal’s breathing getting so shallow and fast it was starting to sound like hyperventilating. “Arsenal, bro, breath. In, out, in, out.” Arsenal focused his breathing on following Robin’s words. For his part, Robin felt guilty for putting Arsenal in this position, since it had been his idea. “I know the pod is small, but you need to focus on my voice, ok?” 

“Uh-huh,” Arsenal grunted, unable to form any other coherent thoughts or words. Robin was going to say something eel, but then stopped when he realized Superboy was staring at him and Arsenal. 

“We only meant to help you,” Aqualad said to the clone, who turned his attention him slowly. 

“Yeah, we free you and you turn on us!” Kid Flash shouted. “How’s that for gratit-“

“Kid, please, be quiet now. I believe our new friend is not in control of his actions.” With Superbly’s attention no longer on him, Robin took the opportunity to slip a lock-pick out of his glove.

“Yeah,” Arsenal agreed, voice almost a wheeze and still sounding like he was going to hyperventilate. “He-he might be…being forced to…” 

Superboy grunted. “What if I….what if I wasn’t?” he asked in a quiet voice. 

“He can talk?!” Kid Flash demanded. 

“Yes, he can.” Superboy’s fist tightened as he talked. Arsenal felt his chest constrict even more at the hard edge of the teen’s voice. He silently commanded himself to focus and also slipped a lockpick free of his glove. Aqualad and Robin both gave him a look. 

“What? It’s not like I said ‘it’.”

“The genomes taught you,” Aqualad guessed. “Telepathically.”

“Yes, they taught me much. I can read, write…I know the names of things.”

“But have you seen them?” Robin asked. “Have they ever let you seen the sky? Or the sun?”

“The images are implanted in my mind, but no. I have not seen them.” Arsenal, despite his own impending panic, felt a flash of sympathy for Superboy. 

“Do you know who you are, what you are?” Aqualad asked curiously. 

“I am the Superboy. A genomorph. A clone made from the DNA of Superman. Created to replace him, should he perish. Destroy him should he turn from The Light.” Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad gave each other looks of concern at the last part, but the clone’s words merely deepened Arsenal’s sympathy for him. 

“Being like Superman is a worthy aspiration. But like Superman, you deserve a life of your own. Beyond that solar suit. And your pod. Beyond Cadmus.”

“I live because of Cadmus!” Arenal’s body flinched at the yell from Superboy. “It is my home!” 

“Your home is a test tube,” Robin said in a voice Arsenal knew all too well. “We can show you the sun.” 

“Uh…pretty sure it’s after midnight,” Kid Flash pointed out. “But we can show you the moon.”

“And the stars,” Arsenal added hoarsely. 

“And we can show you, introduce you, to Superman,” Aqualad added. This seemed to make Superboy reconsider. 

“No,” said a man who was walking in with a woman and Guardian. The four young heroes glared at him. “they won’t. They’ll be otherwise occupied. Begins he cloning process.” 

“Pass,” Robin said immediately as the woman with him walked towards the controls. “Bat Cave’s corded enough, right Arsenal?” 

“Uh-huh,” Arsenal agreed. 

“And put the weapon back in its pod!” Desmond shouted at Guardian. 

“Hey, how come he gets to call Supey an it?” Kid Flash asked as Guardian walked forward and put his hand on Superbly’s shoulder. 

“Please, help us,” Aqualad pleaded to the clone. Superboy looks at Guardian and shook his hand off. 

“Don’t start thinking now,” Desmond said as he walked past, his genomorph hopping off his shoulder and onto Superboy’s. Its horns started to glow. The effect was immediate as Superboy’s gaze became unfocused. “See, you’re not a real boy, you’re a weapon! And you belong to me!” 

Despite his still very loosely held calm, Arsenal felt a burst of anger. “He doesn’t belong to you!” he snapped at Desmond. “He’s a person, he doesn’t belong to anyone!” 

Desmond barely spared at the archer a glance. “Well, to Cadmus, same thing! Now get back in your pod!” 

“Don’t listen to him Superboy! You don’t belong to anyone! No one owns you and they can’t treat you like this!” Arsenal felt even more panic and worry as he watched Superboy turned and march out of the room. The door closed and he felt his resolve double-down. He was getting out of this pod, of not to help himself, then to help Superboy. Unfortunately, Desmond then nodded to the woman, who started typing on the keyboard. Two metal arms with thin, finger-like structures on the end suddenly came up from the bottom of the pods and attached themselves to the heroes. Arsenal shrieked in pain and felt his grip on his calm slip. His muscles went tense and he hyperventilated as the needles on the structures pierced his skin. 

“Where’s Dubbilex?!” Desmond demanded as the genome came up behind him. “Lurking in the shadows, as usual. Have the genomes being downloading their memories. When that’s done, and when you’re sure the clones are viable, delete the source material; except for,” he pointed to Arsenal. “that one. Move him to a freeze pod and put him on ice, then have him ready to be transported to another facility. He is to be unharmed in the process.” Arsenal was in such a deep state of panic he didn’t focus on anything else, but Robin caught bits and pieces of it. Tough to know, even through the haze of pain, that he was about to die and his older brother was going to be frozen for God-only-knew what reason. 

Aqualad also heard this and gutted his teeth. “Superboy,” he whispered, hoping the clone’s super hearing was as good as Superman’s. “You live. That gives you the right to follow your own path. You’re not a weapon. You’re a person. The choice is yours, but ask yourself, what would Superman do?” Unknown to him, Superboy could indeed hear him and the Atlantean’s words made the clone stop. 

Robin was trying to mediate through the pain like Batman had taught him to try and find a way out when a loud noise momentarily distracted him. The door of the room crumbled and caved in from the outside. Superboy stood in the doorway, having cut off the power supply of the room when he tore off the door. The pain stopped and three of the heroes all breathed a sigh of relief. Arsenal though was still in the grips of his panic attack. It made Robin desperate to get free. 

“I thought I told you to get back in your-” Desmond shouted at Superboy as he walked calmly forward. Desmond, Guardian, and Dibbilex ran at him, but Superboy shoved them aside without care. 

“Don’t give me orders,” he said to the now unconscious Desmond. He turned to the trapped heroes. 

“So are you here to fry us or help us?” Kid Flash asked. 

Superboy’s eyes narrowed for a moment. “Huh. I don’t seem to have heat vision, so I guess helping is my only option.” His gaze drifted to Arsenal, who as still having a panic attack. “What’s the matter with him?”

“He’s got issues,” Robin said shortly. He finally got them off and jumped down. 

“Ah, that’s better,” he said, rubbing his wrists and putting the lockpick back. ‘Luck Batman isn’t here. He’d have my head for taking so long.” 

“Seriously, that’s what you’re worried about?” Kid Flash asked as Robin ran to the control panel. “The whole League will have our heads after tonight!” The pods opened and Robin turned to Superboy.

“Free Aqualad and Kid Mouth. I have to take care of Arsenal.”

“Don’t you give me order either,” Superboy growled, but he leaped to free them nonetheless. He crushed the metal cuffs with his hands with ease. 

Robin went straight for Arsenal and climbed the structure with ease. He carefully picked the lock on the cuffs and jumped down in time to catch his brother. “Arsenal,” he said, staggering a little bit under the older teen’s weight. With a grunt, Robin heaved his upper body up and brought them both down to their knees. He put both his hands on either side of the archer’s face. “Arsenal, it’s Robin. You’re safe now, you’re out of the pod. Look at me, bro.” With their masks on it was hard to tell if he had Arsenal’s attention and he knew this would be better if Arsenal could see his eyes, but this was the situation as it was. “Breathe Arsenal! in! Out! In! Out!” He put the archer’s hand on his own chest and took deep breaths as he talked. Thankfully, Arsenal did calm down fairly quickly. “You ok?” 

“Mhm,” Arsenal grunted. He was shaky and feeling as though he was going to collapse, but he could think straight, so it was better than nothing. 

“Let’s go,” Aqualad said. Robin grabbed Arsenal’s hand and they ran out of the room. 

“You’ll never get out of here!” Desmond hustled after them. “I’ll have you back in pods before morning.”

“He’s so not whelmed,” Robin muttered, throwing several exploding discs back at Desmond.

“What is it with you and this whelmed thing?” Kid Flash asked as they left. 

“Better not to ask,” Arsenal replied. The discs that the containers with their DNA and back up, destroying it. 

Desmond got to his feet and glared at them as they ran. “Activate every genomorph in Cadmus.”

Meanwhile, the group was running for their lives. “We’re still 42 levels below ground,” Aqualad said as they ran. They stopped suddenly when several of the genome monsters they’d seen before was standing there. They backtracked a little bit, but at that moment noticed several round structures on the wall were glowing red. More genomes emerged from them. The group scattered as one of the creature’s fists came down at them. Superboy glared up at it and leaped into the air, knocking the creature down with a single punch. Another creature suddenly hit him and pinned him down, giving the others a chance to get by them. Superboy freed himself and started pumping the creature into the wall. “Superboy!” Aqualad yelled. “The goal is to escape! Not to bury ourselves here!” 

“You want escape?!” Superboy demanded, a wild look in his eyes making Arsenal whimper and step back. Superboy picked up one of the natures and thew it into the other two. They continued running until they reached an elevator, whose doors Aqualad pried open. Kid flash hopped onto a ledge, allowing Robin to shoot his grappling hook. He jumped just as Arsenal wrapped his arms around the boy’s shoulders. Superboy wrapped one arm around Aqualad and jumped up. They traveled up several stories before their momentum scowled and they started falling. “I’m falling…” Robin’s eyes indeed and he spared a glance at his brother. Arsenal gun himself to a ledge, grabbing on with his fingers. Robin shot another grapple down to their falling feeding, which Aqualad caught. “Superman can fly,” Superboy said quietly in disbelief. “Why can’t I fly?” 

“Don’t know,” Kid Flash said from the ledge he, Robin, and Arsenal were standing on. “But it looks like you can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Still pretty cool.”

“Thank you.”

“Guys!” Robin yelled. “This floor has to be our exit!” He pointed up at an elevator that was quickly descending on them. Superbly punched the doors out and they quickly exited onto the floor just as the elevator passed. More genome creatures came down the hall and they turned right to avoid them. Kid Flash ran ahead of the group as usual, but Superboy was able to keep pace with him. 

“Turn left ahead,” a movie in his head said. He frowned and hesitated, but they didn’t have a lot of options. 

“Go left!” he shouted to the others. “Left!” They turned left. 

“Turn right ahead.”

“Right!” They ran right. Unfortunately, this turn took them into a dead-end. 

“Great!” Kid Flash sighed s they all came to a stop. “Great directions Supey! You trying to get us re-poded?”

“I…I don’t understand..”

“Don’t apologize,” Robin smiled, looking at the air vent above their heads. “This is perfect.” 

“Uh-uh,” Arsenal said shaking his head and stepping back. “I’m not getting in there!”

“We don’t have another options bro!”

“No way!”

“I’ll be right there with you. We’ll be fine, I promise.” Arsenal sighed, but bit his lip and nodded. Superboy leaped up and pulled the cover of the vent out of the wall. Robin climbed up Arsenal and pulled himself inside. Arsenal followed closely behind, Aqualad using his hands as a step to push him up. Aqualad then went himself next, and then Kid Flash; with Superboy helping them. He then jumped up and pulled himself inside last.

“This is just great,” Kid Flash muttered as they crawled through the vents. “We’ll ever get out of here at this rate.”

“Shh!” Superboy shushed. “Hear that?” There was a faint scraping and scrambling sound behind them. 

“Let’s move!” Robin advised, the group crawling even faster. Arsenal focused on his brother instead of the small space around him. They made their exits in no time and Robin pulled up his hologlove. Everyone stood around him for a moment as watched. 

“What’re you doing?” Arsenal asked. 

“I just hacked the motion sensors.” Arsenal rolled his eyes at the grin on Robin’s face. Robin nodded to the doorway they were near. “That staircase will take us up and out.”

“And I finally have room to move,” Kid Flash rejoiced. He slipped his goggles on and ran up the stairs ahead of everyone else. He ran into some genomes, but simile ran faster and knocked them all down. The others followed behind. 

“There’s more behind us!” Superboy turned on the landing and stomped his foot down, destroying the staircase the genomes were on. An alarm was going off as they exited the stairs. Unfortunately, two metal doors closed in the middle of the hall and Kid Flash ran straight into them. 

“Oh crud,” he said right before he hit them and tumbled backward. 

“They’ve blocked our exit to the street,” Aqualad said. 

“Thanks, my head hadn’t noticed.” Superboy tried to punch the doors, but they didn’t budge. He tried to pry them open and Aqualad joined him. 

“Can you hack it?” Arsenal asked Robin, who already had his hologlove up. 

“Not fast enough,” Robin replied, shutting it down. More genome creatures came around the corner. “This way!” Robin kicked a door open and lead the others through it. They stopped suddenly though when they found their path blocked by more genomorphs and Guardian. They looked back, but more had come up behind him. One of the genomes' horns glowed and everyone but Superboy dropped onto the ground, unconscious. The clone merely fell to his knees. 

“Perhaps for the sake of all genomorphs, our brother Superboy should make up his own mind,” said a voice in Superboy’s head. He looked up. It was Dubbliex. 

“It was you,” he replied telepathically. 

“Yes, brother. I set the fire and lured your new friends down into Cadmus and woke them when they were in danger.”

“And told me where to go.”

“Yes. You are our hero. You will blaze a trial for all genopmorphs, showing us the way to freedom.” The genome on Guardian’s shoulder jumped off. 

“Uh…what’s going on?” he asked groggily. Aqualad awoke and stood up, as did Superboy.

“What is your choice brother?”

“I…choose…freedom.”

“Feels like…fog lifting,” Guardian said, putting his hand on his head. The others also awoke and stood up. “Go. I’ll deal with Desmond.”

“I think not,” Desmond said from behind. He held up a vial of liquid. “Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus.” He downed the liquid and Guardian backed up. Desmond’s body jerked and spasmed as he fell on the ground. He shouted his muscles grew so big they ripped through his shirt and lab coat. His body kept growing in hiss and strength until a giant, grey monster stood there in front of the group. 

“Everyone back!” Guardian shouted, running at Desmond. Demond merely knocked him aside with a single hand. Superboy attacked him next and punched him in the face. The monster was unfazed though and punched him back. Superboy was knocked down, but quickly got back up and kept punching back. The monster knocked the clone into the wall. He jumped up, but the monster also leaped into the air and knocked him through the ceiling. 

“That’s one way to get through the ceiling,” Robin said, shooting his grappling hook through the hole and Arsenal pulled a grappling arrow from his quiver. He clicked a button on the side and the top half shot through the hole.

“Do you think lab coat planned that?” Kid Flash asked, grabbing a hold of Robin. The two of them ascended through the hole.

“I don’t think he’s planning anything anymore,” Aqualad said, wrapping his arms around Arsenal. The two of them zipped up through the hole. The stood on the edge and found Superboy still fighting the monster. The monster threw him back and hit Aqualad and Arsenal. Kid Flash ran to Aqualad and Superboy, while Robin ran to Arsenal. They got to their feet and the five young heroes stood to face the monster. They ran at him as a group. Kid Flash ran ahead and slipped under the monsters foot as it tried to step on him. Luckily it distracted the monster, which allowed Aqualad and Superboy to punch him together. The nonstop fell back, tripping over Kid Flash who was down on all fours behind him. 

“Learned that one in kindergarten,” he smiled. Robin flipped over the speedster, Arsenal right behind him. He threw more discs and Arsenal threw two arrows javelin style. The monster merely knocked the discs and arrows away though. The monster got up and attacked Arsenal, shoving him into a pillar. He punched the clone, cracking the structure even more. Aqualad suddenly cracked out a whip of water with his water bearers and caught the monster’s fist. He used it to pull himself over to the monster and landed on the pillar above Superboy’s head. He then created a mace of water and tried to hit the monster, who simply caught it and threw him to the side. Superboy tried to get away, but the monster backhanded him into another pillar, breaking that one too. 

Kid Flash ran at the monster and jumped over Aqualad, but the monster simply grabbed his arm and swung him into his friend. The two of them hit two separate pillars. Arsenal ran up from behind, silently cursing. He was at a severe disadvantage without his bow. He jumped up and pulled a glue arrow from his quiver, intending to stab it into the monster. Instead, the monster turned around and smack him down into the ground. He stepped on Arsenal, inning the archer down with his foot. Aqualad water bearer’s glowed again. getting the monster’s attention. It turned and rammed into the Atlantean, pushing him through the pillar he was leaning against and into another one, which cracked at the top and bottom. The roof of the whole room shook and Robin’s eyes widened behind his mask. 

“Of course,” he whispered. He pulled up a holographic schematic of the room and pillars on his hologlove. “KF, get over here!” Aqualad tried to block the monster’s punch, he was being held against the pillar with one hand, with another structure from his water bearers, but it didn’t help. Superboy ran at the monster and tried to punch him, but the monster caught his arm and threw him through the pillar, then threw Aqualad across the room. Arsenal tried to come up behind him again, but his electroshock arrow was stopped before he could hit the monster’s skin and the monster held him up by the arm. He brought his legs up and kicked him, but it had no effect and the monster threw him over next to Aqualad. 

Meanwhile, Robin has just finished filling in Kid Flash on his plan. “Got it?” he asked. 

“Got it!” Kid Flash replied as he sped off. He ran around the monster and jumped up, punching him in the face as he picked up Superboy with both hands. The speedster stopped and looked at a glob of….something on his hand. “Got your nose,” he teased. The monster dropped Superboy and ran after the speedster. 

“Superboy, Aqualad, Arsenal!” Robin shouted, getting their attention. 

Kid Flash ran over to the pillar that Robin had indicated and stood in front of it. “Come and get me, you incredible bulk!” The monster punched at him, but he dodged to the side and the fist hit the pillar instead. A piece of cement hit speedster on the back and knocked him down. He rolled to his feet and ran, but the monster punched him in the back.

“There and there!” Robin pointed to each of the pillars they needed to take down. Aqualad and Superboy ran to comply. Robin looked at Arsenal. “Get some explosive arrows ready.”

“I don’t have my bow! Superboy broke it!”

“Then make one!” 

“Make one?!”

“Yes! Hurry!” Arsenal looked around and saw a piece of thin metal on the ground. He picked it up and bent it, testing the flexibility. ’It’ll do.” Meanwhile, Aqualad used a water mace to take out a pillar and Superboy punched out another one. Kid Flash stood in front of another one. 

“So close!” he laughed as he dodged another arrow. Robin meanwhile, drew an ‘x’ in chalk on the floor. Aqualad spilled water down with his water bearers and Kid Flash skidded through it. The monster an after him, but slipped on the water and fell right on the ‘X’. Aqualad generated electricity and pulsed it through try water, stunning the monster. Robin nodded to Arsenal, who pulled the arrows from his quiver. 

“Move!” Robin shouted to Aqualad, pulling him out of the way. Arsenal shot off four explosives arrows, one after another, into the weakened pillars. The rusting explosions destroyed the pillars and the room started caving in on them. Superboy and Aqualad pushed Arsenal, Robin, and Kid flash down and threw themselves down on top of them, Arsenal also threw himself over Robin, as the building collapsed on them. Everything was quiet and still for a minute. Supply punched his way through the rubble and pushed off the large slab of the roof that had fallen on them. Everyone stood up slowly. Their suits were torn and everyone was hurting. Aqualad was panting. 

“We-we did it,” he said to Arsenal, who felt like he wanted to sleep for several years. 

“Was there…ever any doubt?” Robin asked, grinning at Kid Flash. The tow of them high-coved, then immediately cringed in pain and put their hands to their sides. Superboy walked closer to the monster, who was unconscious and under a large slab of the ceiling. 

“See?” Kid Flash gasped. Superboy looked back at him. “The moon!” He pointed to the moon. 

“And the stars!” Arsenal added with a smile. Superboy stood there, staring up at the moon with a sense of awe. A dot appeared in front of the moon and seemed to grow bigger. His eyes narrowed, then widened when he saw what it was; or who it was. 

“And Superman,” Kid Flash added when he recognized the Man of Steel. “Do we keep our promises or what?” More heroes flew behind Superman and landed in front of the sidekicks. Even more, heroes landed on either side of the group, surrounding them. Arsenal swallowed and moved closer to Robin. Green Lantern John Stewart felt down with even more League members, including their mentors, on a construct. The entire League stood surrounding the teens and no one said anything or moved for a moment. Finally, Superboy approached Superman. Superman regarded with him suspicion as the clone walked slowly forward. Not knowing what to say, Superboy lifted up the torn edge of his solar suit and showed the ’S’ on his chest. Superman’s face morphed into shock before it morphed into anger. Superboy frowned. 

“Is that what I think it is?” Batman asked. 

“He doesn’t like to be called an ‘it’,” Kid Flash advised him in a whisper. 

“I am Superman’s clone!” Superboy declared. Several League members showed visible shock. 

Batman looked at the teens with his eye narrowed. “Start talking.” The five of them gave a brief report of the events that had transpired. Everyone once and a while Kid Flash and Aqualad saw their mentors shaking their heads or facepalming. Once they finished The Green Lantern’s and several other League members took Monster-Desmond into custody. Superboy looked over at where Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter were talking to Superman. Martian Manhunter looked back and saw them being watched. He put his hand on Superman’s shoulder and he looked back at Superboy, who looked away. Superman turned back to teammates for a moment before slowly walking towards Superboy. 

“We’ll…uh…figure something out for you,” Superman said slowly. “The League will, I mean. I should….go make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared way.” He tried and flew away. 

“Cadmus will be investigated,” Batman said as he Flash and Aquaman approach the teens. “As will all 52 sub-levels, but let make one thing clear-“

“You should’ve called,” Flash interrupted. 

Batman gave him a look. “We are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed orders, and endangered lives, you will not do this again.”

Aqualad looked at the others before he stepped forward and they moved closer together. “I’m sorry, but we will.” 

“Aqualad,” Aqauaman began. “Stand down.”

“Apologies my king, but no.” Aquaman raised an eyebrow. “We did good work here tonight. The work you trained us to do. We did it together and on our own, we forged something powerful.”

“If this is about your treatment at the hall,” Flash said, “the four of you-“

“The five of us,” Kid Flash corrected him. 

“Batman, we’re ready to use what you taught us,” Robin said. “Or why teach us at all.” Batman looked at Arsenal, who didn’t say anything but nodded.

“Why let them tell us what to do?” Superboy asked. He walked forward. “It’s simple. Get on board, or get out of the way.” The five of them stood together, staring their mentors down in defiance. 

Batman’s eyes narrowed. “Give us 3 days to think about it,” he allowed. 

“I know how that conversation will go,” Wonder Woman muttered as she walked past him. 

“Three days won’t be so long,” Kid Flash said. 

“UH, guys,” Robin whispered, nodding his head at Superboy. The clone was looking in the direction Superman had left in. Kid Flash looked at him for a moment, before running up to his uncle. 

“Hey Flash,” he said. “Can Supey come home with us?”

“Uh…” Flash stammered. 

“He doesn’t have anywhere else to go. Come on, please?” 

Flash sighed and rubbed his face. “Fine, but you’re still in trouble.”

“Got it, thanks!” Kid Flash ran back over to Superboy. “Don’t worry Supey, you’re coming home with me and Flash.”

“Flash is nice, don’t worry,” Robin said. “He’ll take care of you.”

“Kid….Super…boy? Let’s go!” Flash called. 

“Late dude.” Robin and Kid Flash high-fived again before the latter and Superboy left. Aqualad made eye contact with Aquaman, who still looked angry and disappointed, and gestured to him. 

“Bye Aqualad,” Arsenal said, the two of them briefly pressing their fingertips together. 

“Good-bye Arsenal.” They watched him leave and Aquaman put his hand against his protege’s back. 

“Robin, Arsenal,” Batman said. The two of them walked over to him. Batman simply turned away. Even without him saying anything, the two teens knew just from the tone in his voice this wasn’t over. Arsenal swallowed and rubbed his hands over his arms nervously. They were still in a lot of trouble.


	4. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last couple of chapters were on the long side, so this one is on the shorter side. Enjoy and comment if you did!

When they got back to the Bat Cave, Batman sat down at the computer to take off his cowl. Arsenal and Robin took off their masks and watched as he rubbed his face for a minute. “What…the hell….were you thinking?!” he demanded. 

“Do you want an answer or…” Dick began, but Roy nudged him. 

Bruce glared at him. “You disobeyed orders. Broke into a private facility. Almost got other people killed. Almost got yourselves killed! You could’ve gotten hurt!” His eyes found every injury under their torn suits. “You were hurt!”

“We get hurt all the-“ 

“Shut up!” Roy hissed at Dick. 

“Not the point!” Bruce snapped. “You two should know better than this! I’ve trained you to do better! How can I trust you in Gotham if I can’t leave you alone for five minutes in one of the most secure buildings in the world?! You want to be treated like adults, but you’re still making decisions like children!”

“We saved Superboy and bought down Cadmus’ secret operations,” Dick objected.

“And in doing so you allowed for who knows how many people to get hurt and almost got the four of you killed! This is why you aren’t allowed to help the League! You’re still too immature and young to handle things like this!” His words silenced Dick. Roy meanwhile, was trying to keep himself calm. “If you ever, ever do anything this….completely irresponsible again, I will bench you both permanently! No more Robin and no more Arsenal! Is that understood?!”

“Yes, Bruce,” the boys said in unison. 

“Dick, go to the infirmary so Alfred can look at your injuries, then go to bed. No patrol for a week.” Dick opened his mouth to protest but Roy quickly put his hand over it. “Roy, stay here. I”m not finished with you.” The uneasiness that had persisted through Roy’s mind during the lecture suddenly doubled into strong anxiety. Injured and exhausted, Roy struggled to remember any of his ground techniques. It felt like his brain was running on a treadmill at top speed with no end. There was nothing to grab onto or way to stop. Bruce noticed after Dick left and sighed. “Roy, calm down. Calm down.” Roy opened his mouth to speak, but only managed to suck in a deep breath and have it come out like a whine. “Roy, breathe. In…out…in…out…”

Roy inhaled and exhaled, following Bruce’s words. ‘Grounding…grounding….my senses!’ The technique came to him. 5 things he could see. ‘….Bruce…The computer….The cave wall….The pile of cases….The chair….’ 4 things he could touch. ‘….my gloves….the ground….my pants….my boots…’ 3 things he could hear. ‘Dick talking to Alfred….my breathing….Bruce telling me to breathe…’ 2 things he could smell. ‘Damp air….my blood.’ 1 thing he could taste. ‘I can taste my blood.’ He winced. He’d been biting inside of his lip. Most of his muscles were still wound and his heart was pounding, but it felt as if the treadmill had slowed enough that he could keep up. 

There must’ve been something external that showed he was calmer, because Bruce asked, “Are you ok?” 

“Yes,” Roy answered. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I'll be ok.” 

Bruce sighed and rubbed his face again. “Roy, how old are you?” he asked slowly. 

Roy frowned. “How….old am I?”

“Yes. How old are you?”

“…..17?”

“How old will you be in two months?”

“……18?”

“So why do you keep doing stupid things a 13-year-old tells you to do?” 

“….I….” 

“You’re going to be an adult in two months, Roy. You need to stop listening to what Dick tell you to do and stop him from doing stupid things.”

“….Dick’s really determined to do things sometimes…”

“You need to stand up to him, Roy. Dick is young and I need to know you’re going to stop him from doing stupid things.”

“I-I wouldn’t let him get hurt or anything…”

“I know you wouldn’t, but you need to actively try to keep him safe. You’re older, so you have more sense than he does. Stop him from doing these stupid things and don’t go along with them. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Bruce.”

“Good, Now go get looked at and go to bed. You’re benched for a week too.”

“Yes, Bruce.” Roy rubbed his arms as he walked to the infirmary. Alfred was finishing up with Dick when he walked in. The younger teen’s side was bandaged and Roy easily picked out the rising bruises on his arms and torso. 

“Please change out of your suit, sir,” Alfred instructed him as he handed Dick some pills, “and leave it folded neatly so I can repair it.”

“Yes, Alfred,” he said. Roy had just started changing when he saw a thin slice in his glove. ‘What…?’ Once the glove was removed he bit his lip as he examined his hand. It was his scarred palm. The skin was wavy and raised in uneven patterns. The weeks of physical therapy he’d undergone over the last three years to maintain his mobility had forced him to get used to staring at it, but it still made him uncomfortable. Cutting across his palm, was a thin line. ‘Must’ve been the wire from my makeshift bow. ‘Why didn’t I feel it though?’ He shrugged and continued to get changed. ‘It’s probably because everything was so hectic. I just wasn’t paying attention.’ Once he was in a loose t-shirt and sweats, Roy went back to the infirmary and patiently waited for Alfred to finish checking Dick over. 

“It appears you have bruised a few ribs, Master Dick,” Alfred said, eyeing the discoloration on the teen’s side. “It will require rest, but other than that I believe your scrapes are nothing too major.”

“Thanks, Alf,” Dick smiled as he slipped off the table. He grimaced in pain a little bit and Roy gave him a worried look, which Dick noticed. “It’s ok Roy, I’m fine. I’ve had worse.” 

“Sit, Master Roy.” Roy carefully sat himself down on the examination table facing Alfred. “What hurts, sir?”

“My head and my chest mostly,” Roy answered. Alfred listened to his breathing for a minute. “It feels like a cracked rib.” 

“One examination later showed that Roy had indeed cracked three ribs. “Looks like it’s a good thing you are benched for a week then.” He noticed the bolo on Roy’s hand and picked it up. “Why did you not tell me about this, sir?”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“Master Roy, this cut may be shallow, but it looks like it must’ve hurt.”

“It didn’t though. Really, Alfred, it didn’t hurt.”

“I believe you, sir.” Which was a problem. It should’ve hurt. He cleaned and bandaged it, holding back the grimace he always had when he touched the scarred skin on the teen’s hand. Once that was finished, he moved on to Roy’s head injury. “Follow my finger with your eyes.” Roy did as interacted. “Do you have a headache sir?”

“Yes.”

“Rate it on a scale of 1 to 6.”

“4.”

“Do you feel pressure in your head?”

“No.”

“Do you feel any neck pain?”

“No.”

Alfred methodically went through different tests to determine if Roy was concussed. “You have a minor concussion, sir. Plenty of rest and no patrol for at least a week and you should be ok.”

“No problem with no patrol.”

“Hmmm. Master Dick told me about that. I can assure you, Master Bruce is simply worried about your safety.”

“I know. I told Dick we shouldn’t go.”

“Did you?” Alfred gently started wrapping Roy’s left forearm with a compression bandage to help with the swelling. 

“I did, but…he wouldn’t listen.”

“Master Dick is very stubborn.”

“But…we did save Superboy.”

“Yes, Master Dick told me about him as well. I take it his liberation made this mission worth it to you?”

“….yeah, I guess.” Alfred gave him a look. “I mean, he didn’t deserve to just stay there and be used by that Desmond guy. If we hadn’t saved him…who would’ve? Maybe the League was suspicious but…what if they had helped too late?”

Alfred smiled at him. “I know you’re sensitive to the plight of children unable to defend themselves against adults who wish to use them, but you must listen to Master Bruce. Doing rash things will give you less credibility in the eyes of the League.”

“Yes, Alfred.”

“Not to mention how very disappointed I would be to lose someone who enjoys all my sweets, so much.” Roy smiled a little bit. “Now, to bed. You need rest.” 

Roy nodded and slipped down off the table. “Night, Alfred.”

“Good-night, Master Roy.” 

Upstairs, Roy found Dick hanging around outside his bedroom. “Weren’t you supposed to go to bed?” Roy asked, feeling so bone-tired-exhausted that he wanted to sleep for a year. 

“How can you sleep at a time like this?” Dick asked. 

“You mean at 3 am when we’ve just gone on a mission for hours?”

“I mean at a time when we could be going from being just vigilantes to actually going on missions!” 

Roy sighed and rubbed his eyes. “It’s too late for this Dick….or too early, pick one.” 

Dick sighed. “Fine.”

“Thank you.” Roy didn’t even bother to turn the light on as he collapsed into his bed. As soon as he hit the mattress his muscles turned to stone and his eyes fell closed. ‘Why is it always me?’ 

— — 

The trip back to Central City was….awkward. After Flash authorized for Superboy to get through the zeta, he wanted nothing more than to speed home, lecture his nephew, then eat a few sandwiches. Unfortunately, the clone’s lack of super speed made the speeding home part of his plan not viable. ‘I guess we’ll just….walk.” The zeta was only a few blocks from Barry’s home and only 20 minutes by walking, but it felt like it was a week. By the time they walked in through the back door, Barry was more tired and freaked than angry. 

“Hi Barry,” Iris said. “Wally….and….”

“Superboy,” Wally supplied helpful, pulling his cowl down. 

“Superboy. Do either of you want to explain?” Barry didn’t respond, but simply pulled off his cowl and rubbed his face. 

“See, Robin, Arsenal, Aqualad, and me broke into Cadmus-“

“Robin, Arsenal, Aqualad and I.”

“You weren’t there,” Superboy said, speaking for the first time. 

“Ok!” Barry sighed, throwing his hands in the air. “Ok, Iris can you please take….Superboy into the kitchen or….something? Please? I need to talk to Wally.”

“Ok,” Iris said, mildly concerned her husband was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. “Come on, Superboy. Do you have another name?”

“My name is Superboy.”

“Yes, I understand that, but what’s your real name?”

“Superboy.”

“…Ok…” 

Wally chuckled, which became more nervous when he saw the stressed look on his uncle’s face. “He’s interesting, right Uncle Barry?” he asked. 

Barry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not going to yell, because I know it won’t get us anywhere,” he said, “and I’m tired. What were you thinking?”

“That I wanted to be like you.”

“Wally, you need to stop doing rash and stupid things to be like me!”

“We were successful.

”You have no training, you were lucky! Wally…do you have any idea how worried I was when we got back the Hall and you were gone?! I didn’t know where you were and I couldn’t reach you! I-I didn’t know what to do! I thought the Hall had been attacked!”

“…I…guess I didn’t think about that.”

“That’s why you guys aren’t ready for things like this. You don’t think!”

“Doesn’t Batman say you don’t think?”

“Batman does all the thinking for me. I know you guys are frustrated, but all we want is to keep you safe.”

“I didn’t blow myself up to be safe, I did it so I could help people and protect the world just like you do.”

“I know, and I’m proud of that and I’m proud of what you accomplished tonight-“

“Wait, really?!”

Flash sighed. “Don’t tell Batman or Wonder Woman I said this, but yes, I am. Whether it was luck or not, you did a good thing tonight.” 

Wally frowned. “But you’re still mad?”

“I’m upset you went off without permission and got hurt, even if they’re healed by now,” he added, cutting off Wally’s objection, “but I am proud you managed to help Superboy.”

“Even if we destroyed the building?”

“Believe me Kid, the League’s early missions were very…similar.” Wally smiled and gave his uncle a hopeful look. 

“So, does that mean you’re ok with us having our own team?”

“….I don’t know. I’ll…think about it.” 

Wally nodded. ‘I’ll think about it’ was a better answer than ‘no’. Wanting to tell his aunt all about his mission, he ran into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. Superboy was standing in the middle of it just looking around. Iris saw Wally and nodded to the clone. “Wally, why don’t you take Superboy upstairs and get him set up with blankets in your room?”

“Ok. Come on Superboy,” Wally said, gesturing for Superboy to follow. He led his new friend through the house and upstairs to his bedroom. “This is my room. I’ll have to sleep on the floor, but I’ll find all the blankets I can so it’s nice and comfy.” Mind and body working too fast for him, Wally spun around and headed for the hall closet. 

“Flash is your father?” Superboy asked suddenly as he followed. 

“No, Barry is my uncle.”

Superboy frowned. “But that does not make sense.”

“How?”

“My knowledge of family units states that a child lives with their mother and their father.” 

“Well….some people do and some people don’t.”

“Why?”

Wally’s hand shook a little bit as he pulled blankets down from the closet. “Just because.”

“Why though?” 

“I…just do, alright?” 

“You just do?” Wally turned around and jumped when he found Superboy standing less than a foot from him. “Are your parents dead?”

“Uh….one might be I don’t really know, the other….well he’s kind of dead to me, so does that count?” Superboy just stared at him. “Supey, we just met-“

“I can hear your heart.” Superboy’s brow furrowed in concentration. “It’s beating really fast.”

“I’m a speedster, it does that.”

“Faster than it was earlier.”

Wally sighed. “Fine, if you really have to know, I live with Barry and Iris because I was abused when I was a kid.”

“You were abused?”

“Yes. Do you…know what abuse is?”

“Abuse is the intentional, or non-accidental harming of a child.”

“Ok, well…that.”

“Your father harmed you in an intentional or non-accidental way.”

“Yes.” Wally walked back to his room and Superboy followed. 

“But your uncle does not harm you in an intentional way?”

“No, never! Barry and Iris would never hurt me like that.” He threw the blankets on the ground in a heap. In the blink of an eye, he changed out of his Kid Flash suit and returned in red and yellow Flash pajamas. “I’m gonna run downstairs real quick and get some food. Be right back.” Before Superboy could reply, Wally ran downstairs, grabbed five sandwiches off his uncle’s plate, then ran back upstairs. “Want one?” he asked, mouth half full as he held one out to Superboy. Superboy looked at his hand for a long moment, then his arm and he frowned again. 

“What are those?” He pointed to a circle on Wally’s arm. The speedster swallowed and set the sandwiches down on his desk. He turned around and, without a moment of hesitation, turned his arms over. Superboy frowned even more as he obscured the small, brown scars that dotted the underside of Wally’s arms in sporadic patterns. “They look like….scars?”

“They’re scars that my dad gave me.” He dropped his arms. “I have some smaller ones as well, but those are the most prominent. I used to cover them up when I was younger.”

“Why don’t you cover them up anymore?”

Wally shrugged. “I don’t know. I just…. don’t. It’s just…been a long time I guess. Its easier to talk about it and I don’t feel the need to hide the scars anymore.”

“I don’t understand that.”

“No offense, Supes, but I don’t think you would.” Wally suddenly smiled and took another bite of a sandwich. “Let’s get you set up and hit the hay because I’m exhausted.”

“Hit what heigh?”

Wally laughed. “Good one, Supes.” He wolfed down the rest of his sandwich and was halfway through another one when he realized Superboy was just staring at him. “Were you uh….serious?” More staring. “Ok, dude, please stop doing the staring thing. It’s kind of creepy.”

“What heigh?”

“It’s a saying dude. It means go to bed.” 

“Why?”

“I don’t know…it just is.” He finished the second sandwich and quickly chased it down with a third. “Now let’s get ready for bed, shall we?” Wally stopped when he realized Superbly was still just staring at him. “Go on, you’re taking the bed. I’m sleeping on the floor.” 

“You want me to sleep on the bed?” 

“Yeah, go ahead man.” Wally turned the light off while Superboy laid down awkwardly on the bed. The speedster then snuggled down into his nest of blankets. 

“Do you think Superman knows I’m here?” 

Wally glanced around nervously, despite no one being able to see him. “I’m sure he does.” There was no reply from the bed, but he couldn’t decide if it was good or not. “Just…Just give him some time Supes. Having….suddenly…acquiring a….kid….can be a bit of an adjustment.” There was a brief pause. 

“Really?”

“Of course. My uncle had to adjust to me living here.”

“After you were abused.”

“…Yes. After…After that.”

“How long did it take?”

“I….I don’t think this is something you quantify. Just…hang in there. He’ll come around.” Superboy didn’t say anything else. Wally sighed quietly and snuggled down into his blankets. ‘At least I hope Superman comes around. I don’t know how we’d explain it if he doesn’t.’


	5. Formation of the Team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 1 in the morning, so it's technically Sunday. Therefore, it's update time! Enjoy!

The next League meeting was so filled with tension that everyone could feel it. It was so thick that once they were all seated, no one spoke for a moment. Wonder Woman was finally the person who spoke first. “As I’m sure we’re all aware, the…kids disobeyed the League and infiltrated Cadmus labs,” she said. “While there they destroyed the facility and released a- A clone of Superman.”

“Superboy,” Flash supplied helpfully. 

“Right. Superboy.” Several people looked at Superman, who avoided all their gazes and looked intensely uncomfortable. 

“The kids claim they want to be a part of a Team since they aren’t allowed to go on missions with the League.” 

“It’s not an unreasonable request,” Batman said. Wonder Woman glared at him, but he met her gaze unafraid. “I know how you feel about keeping the children safe, Diana-“

“Then tell me you aren’t seriously considering their request.”

“This is what I have been considering.” Batman brought up a picture of the blockbuster creature. “Desmond created this very dangerous blockbuster formula using Cadmus’ resources. Superboy was created approximately 16 weeks ago. Genomorph creatures were created to form an army. All of this was done right under our noses.”

“What’s your point?” Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, asked. Batman glared at him. 

“My point is that our enemies are getting smarter. What the kids did was wrong, yes, but they did successfully infiltrate Cadmus, free Superboy, and bring what was happening in the secret lab to light.”

“They’re lucky they’re not in the League,” Hawkman said. “If we had done it, we would’ve needed to answer for it. There are no consequences for those kids.”

“Exactly.” Several members gave each other looks of confusion. “The kids have proven they want to be trusted with more and that they are capable of handling more.”

“What exactly are you proposing?” Superman asked. 

“We allow them to form a team. A covert team that will operate under the radar and go places the League can’t. We couldn’t infiltrate Cadmus because we were bound by the laws of the U.N. If the kids were on a covert team though, they could take care of these types of problems.” 

“So you’re saying we just allow five teenagers to go off on their own with no supervision?” Green Lantern, John Stewart, asked. 

“Of course not. I am proposing a team supervised by members of the League and trained by members of the League. We will still be keeping an eye on them, but this will allow them to go simple missions together.”

“It would keep them out of trouble,” Flash admitted. 

“Because letting them operate as a covert Team, if discovered, definitely won’t make us look like we’re hiding something like G. Gordon Godfrey accused us of,” Wonder Woman pointed out. 

“The public need never know,” Martian Manhunter said. “I agree with Batman, this seems like the logical solution to our problems.” 

“Where would they operate out of?” Aquaman asked. “The Watchtower?”

“No, it’d be better if we gave them their own headquarters,” Flash said. “They’d love that.”

“What about Mount Justice?” Superman suggested. 

“Old MJ? Really?”

“Is that place still standing?” Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, asked in an amused voice. 

“Of course it is,” Batman said like he was an idiot. “We designed it as our original headquarters. The equipment and computers will need to be updated though.”

“But its hidden and in a nondescript location,” Flash said. “Perfect for them. They’ll have plenty of space.”

“Who will supervise them?” Aquaman asked. 

“I will,” Red Tornado volunteered. “I have wanted to learn more about human customs. Living at the cave and supervising the children would provide me with the perfect opportunity to do so.” 

“I will deploy them on missions,” Batman added. 

“Seems fitting,” Wonder Woman pointed out. “It’s his idea. If something goes wrong, it should be on him.” 

Batman’s mouth thinned, but Superman came to his aid. “I think Batman would be best for this as well,” he said. “He clearly has thought this out and covert is more his thing anyway.”

“I would like to lend my help as well,” Black Canary said. “I think the kids would benefit from this a lot and I’d like to help with that. I’m an expert fighter and could train them.”

“Looks like it’s settled then,” Superman said. “All that’s left to do is to vote. All in favor?” Everyone but Wonder Woman raised their hands. “Those against?” Wonder Woman alone raised her hand. “Sorry, Diana, you’ve been outvoted.” She didn’t say anything, but merely stood up and left the room. “I think we’ll adjourn the meeting for now. Give her some time to….cool down.” 

“Wise idea,” Flash admitted. “That’s why they let you wear the ’S’.” 

“When will we begin?” Black Canary asked. She, Red Tornado, Flash, Aquaman, and Superman all gathered around Batman.

“We will have to do some maintenance and security upgrades for Mount Justice, but it shouldn’t take us longer than a day before we can show it to them.” 

“Batman,” Martian Manhunter said, approaching the group. “With your permission, I’d like for my niece to join the Team as well.”

“That would be acceptable.”

“Thank you.”

“Aqualad will be very pleased to spend more time with Arsenal,” Aquaman said. 

“Arsenal won’t be joining the others on the Team,” Batman replied. 

Black Canary frowned and her brows furrowed. “Arsenal won’t be on the Team?” she asked slowly. “Why?”

“It’s not safe for him.”

“…..But it is for Robin?” Flash asked in confusion. 

“Green Arrow is still after Arsenal.”

“Normally I would agree with you Batman, but we have not heard anything from Green Arrow in three years,” Aquaman pointed out. 

Batman glared, but it was more of a warning glare than a full-blown Bat-glare. “That doesn’t mean he still isn’t out there with a grudge against Arsenal.”

“You never let him leave Gotham,” Superman said almost gently, knowing they were treading on thin ice. “Don’t you think Arsenal might…want to go on missions and get out of the city for a little bit?”

“He’s safe in Gotham and he knows that.” Flash and Aquaman shared a look. Clearly, Batman didn’t realize how…similar he sounded to Green Arrow at the moment.

“Batman,” Black Canary said, clearly unafraid of angering the Bat, “I know you want Arsenal to be safe, but he needs more than just Gotham. He needs to be allowed to interact with others close to his age- besides just Robin.”

“You said yourself the team is covert,” Flash pointed out. “Green Arrow won’t even know it exists. Arsenal will be just as safe.” Batman didn’t say anything. 

“Just let him have some more freedom. It could really help him.” 

“…..I will consider it.” Batman walked away. He didn’t want to admit that they had swayed him, but the others had brought up good points. The fact that he really didn’t want to allow Arsenal to leave Gotham was because being there was keeping the teen safe. Green Arrow wouldn’t dare step foot in Gotham after attacking Arsenal and Robin; not to mention the blackmail the League had on him. ‘Would it be enough though?’ he wondered as he stepped through the zeta. ‘I let Roy down once, I can’t let it happen again. I have to keep him safe from Oliver.’ But Oliver wouldn’t know about the Team. ‘I could always allow him on the team on a temporary basis. If I think it leaves him too exposed then I can pull him off.’ Batman knew Arsenal wouldn’t fight him on it, the teen never did. ‘He knows I’m trying to protect him. He knows I do what I do because it’s for the best.’ Batman knew what was best for Arsenal after all. 

— — 

The next day, Roy came downstairs to find Dick sitting at the dining room table. He sighed and sat down with his book, knowing the younger teen would explode pretty soon if he didn’t have someone to vent to. 

“What’s taking him so long?!” Dick demanded suddenly, causing Roy to jump and Alfred to give him a look. 

“What do you mean, Master Dick?” the butler asked. 

“He said three days! It’s been two and a half!” 

“If he said three days, Master Dick, then he meant three days. He still has half a day left.” 

“Yeah, chill,” Roy added, unhelpfully. 

Dick glared at him. “How can you be so calm?” He studied Roy as the older teen went back to his book, then gasped loudly. “You don’t think B will approve the team!”

“….He seemed pretty angry with what we did, Dick.”

“We still did well for an unplanned mission. We’re ready for missions and doing more than just chasing down thugs.”

“We went off without permission though.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Really? We successfully completed a mission on our own and that’s what you focus on?!”

“Well….yeah….”

“Why?!”

“….I….Because we did!” Roy went back to his book. ‘Dick isn’t going to understand. It’s not his fault, he just…. won’t understand.’ Dick huffed and sat back in his seat. The two of them sat in silence for a while with Roy reading and Dick stewing, before Alfred returned to them. 

“Master Bruce has requested both your presences’ downstairs,” he said. Roy hesitated, but Dick didn’t even notice as he practically bounced out of his seat. He snagged Roy’s wrist just as his brother stood up and practically dragged him to Bruce’s study. 

“Dick, slow down,” Roy grumbled as he was dragged through the grandfather clock and down the stairs to the Cave. Batman was waiting for them when they go there. 

“Well?” Dick asked after a few moments when their mentor didn’t say anything. “What did you decide?” 

Batman simply took his hand out from under his cape and held put two pairs of sunglasses. “Put these on,” he instructed. Dick and Roy took the items, the latter apprehensively, and slipped them on over their faces. “Let’s go.” Still very confused, they followed him to the Bat-mobile and got in without needing to be told to. “You are not to reveal your identities to anyone. Kid Flash already knows both of your identities and Aqualad knows Arsenal’s, but no one else is to know. Understood?”

“Yes, Batman,” Roy said automatically. 

“Yes,” Dick said, wondering why Batman was so concerned with Superboy knowing their identities. They stopped at the zeta and the two heroes waited for Batman by the entrance. 

“You won’t need my authorization,” he informed them. “Simply input the destination as Mount Justice.” 

“Mount Justice?” Roy whispered to Dick. Dick shrugged and did as he was told. He slipped through the fence and Roy followed closely behind. 

“Robin, B-01.”

“Arsenal, B-04.”

“Batman, 02.”

“Whoa…” Robin breathed as they stepped out into a giant room. 

“What is this place?” Arsenal asked, standing beside him. 

Robin smiled at Batman as he walked past them. “You’re authorizing our team?!” 

“This way,” Batman said simply. They followed him to the center of the room. 

“Kid Flash, B-02.”

“Superboy, B-05.”

“Flash, 04.”

Wally ran in and stopped next to Robin. “Dude!” he smiled. “Did you hear?!”

“Obviously, if we’re here Kid Mouth,” Robin replied. 

“What’s with the shades?” Wally reached out to touch them, but Batman’s hand suddenly appeared on his wrist. The speedster squeaked and his fingers quickly retracted. Batman released him just as Flash and Superboy joined the group. Wally dashed to his uncle’s side, away from Batman. 

“Aqualad, B-03.”

“Aquaman, 05.”

“Greetings, Arsenal,” Kaldur said, standing next to his friend. “I am pleased to see you.”

“Same,” Arsenal replied with a smile. 

“So what is this place, B?” Robin asked. 

Batman looked at them all for a moment. “This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League,” he explained. They all looked around, watching as one of the Green Lanterns carried something big and metal through the air with his ring. “We’re calling it into service again. Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you’ll do it on League terms. Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary would be in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions.”

“Real missions?”

“Yes, but covert.”

“The League will still handle the obvious stuff,” Flash said. “There’s a reason we have these big targets on our chests.”

“But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter,” Aquaman said. “Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly.”

“The six of you will be that team,” Batman explained. 

“Cool!” Robin smiled before his mentor words sunk in and he frowned. “Wait, six?” Batman nodded at something behind them and they turned around. “This is Martian Manhunter’s niece, Miss Martian.” A green teenage girl with red hair awkwardly wrapped one arm around herself and waved. 

“Hi,” she smiled. 

Wally grinned at Dick. “Liking this gig more and more every minute,” he whispered. He walked towards her. “Welcome, I’m Kid Flash. That’s Robin, Aqualad, Arsenal. It’s cool if you forget their names.”

“I’m honored to be included.” Arsenal glanced at Kaldur for a moment, but his friend gave him a small nod and they all walked over to greet her. Except for Superboy, who hung back. Robin looked back at him.

“Hey Supes!” he called. “Come meet Miss M!”

Superboy joined the group and Miss Martian’s shirt changed color from white to black. “I like your t-shirt.” Superbly seemed to hesitate for a moment before he gave her a small smile. Robin elbowed him and Wally dashed around to the clone’s other side so all three of them were smiling at her. Arsenal frowned in confusion. 

‘Why are they all smiling at her like that?’ he wondered. ‘She’s nice I guess…but….all three of them?’ He glanced at Kaldur, who appeared to be his same calm and un-entranced self. 

Kaldur looked at them all, then smiled at Arsenal, making the redhead's heart race a little bit, before he said, “Today is the day.”

“It is,” Arsenal agreed, apprehensive, but optimistic about this new team. 

— — 

In Metropolis, Oliver Queen tapped this fingers idly against the arm of the chair he was sitting in. Finally, after much too long, the door opened and Lex Luthor walked in. “I’m not a patient man Lex,” he said. 

“I’d think you would be,” Lex replied calmly, fix the already immaculate cuffs of his suit. “Considering I’m the one who’s filled in the gap left by Wayne Industries refusing to do any kind of business with you and I’ve promised to return your wayward sidekick.”

“Which you still haven’t done after three years.” 

“Patience, Oliver, patience.” Luthor slowly poured two drinks. “All things come to those who wait.”

“I think I’ve waited long enough.” He accepted the drink and Luthor slowly lowered himself into the seat across from him in front of the fire. “So what now?”

“You needn’t concern yourself with happened at Cadmus. While it is an interesting turn that the League is willing to the children do their dirty work-“

“I could’ve told you they would.”

“It has provided us with an opportunity.”

“Didn’t you lose a weapon?” 

Luthor’s eyes narrowed at the snark in Oliver’s tone. “I don’t think you’re in a position to be judging us for losing weapons.” The sudden looked of anger on Oliver’s face made him smile. “That was an unforeseen loss, but not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Stop being cryptic then and spit it out.”

“Considering the…success of this little mission, I doubt it’ll be the last time the League allows the children to do this type of thing. We want you to spy on them.”

“Spy on them? The sidekicks?”

“Yes.”

“What for?”

“For now just keep track of their movements.”

Oliver scowled. “You know, I’m not a fan of how cryptic you and your friends are.”

“Oh really?”

“Why don’t I ever get to know what’s going on?”

‘Maybe because you’re an angry sociopath who’s driven solely by revenge and spite,’ Luthor though. He took a sip of his drink. “Think of it this way, we have to be careful about how we removed Roy from the League’s possession. After all, it would be a great asset to us for both of to work for us.”

“Even if we could get him away at this point, the League has undone all of my influence on him.”

“Don’t worry about that. We have our ways to…correct his way of thinking. Imagine how great it would be not only to get him back from the League but turn him on them. Think of the look on Batman’s face when you could turn Roy loose on a prison full of the worst criminals and he slaughters them all.” He waited, watching as his words to effect in the archer’s mind. As they did, Oliver smiled. “See? So like I said, patience. Spy on the sidekicks and we’ll go from there.” 

“Then we’ll get Roy?”

“I promise, we’ll do everything we can to help him see the light.”


	6. Welcome to Happy Harbor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this chapter is longer, as most of the episode based chapters will be. Enjoy and leave a comment if you did!

“Are you sure we shouldn’t be worried about them?” Arsenal asked Kaldur for the fifth time in the past ten minutes. 

“I am sure Robin and Kid Flash will be here soon,” Kaldur assured him. “You know how the two of them are when they are alone together.”

“How are they?” Miss Martian asked. “When they’re alone together I mean.” 

“They forget how to tell time,” Arsenal replied. “and cause lots of trouble.” Kaldur nodded in agreement, then turned back to the holographic map he’d been studying. “Are you sure-“

“Arsenal, my friend, relax,” Kaldur said, not taking his eyes off the map. “Robin is fine.” 

“Why are you so worried about him?” Miss Martian asked. 

“I…” Arsenal hesitated. ‘Do I tell them….

— Flashback — 

When they returned from Mount Justice, Dick still grinning happily and victoriously, Batman put his hand on Roy’s shoulder to stop him. “Roy?” Dick asked, looking back at him. 

“Go upstairs,” Batman instructed him. “I need to talk to Roy about something.”

Dick hesitated, clearly not wanting to be kept out of the loop, but Roy gave him a small smile and he shrugged it off. Once Dick was upstairs Batman’s hand dropped and Roy turned towards him. “What’s up?” he asked as the cowl was removed. 

“Roy, do you remember what we talked about two days ago?” Bruce asked, turning to face him. “After you two broke into Cadmus?” 

“Yes?”

“While you are with the Team, Dick is your responsibility.”

“My responsibility?”

“Yes. Considering the fact that you're almost 18, I think this is a responsibility you should have. Keep an eye on him and keep him out of trouble. Is that understood?” 

“Yes, Bruce.”

“Good. And you should know that you are allowed to be at Mount Justice even when you’re not on a mission or doing Team specific activities. As long as Alfre for I knows where you are and you are not to leave. Is that clear?’

“Yes, Bruce.”

“Good.”

— End Flashback — 

Arsenal sighed and shook his head. “I just worry about him,” he said to Miss Martian. “That’s all.”

“Robin, B-01.”

“Kid Flash, B-02.”

A sighed of relief escape Arsenal when his brother’s name was announced. The two ran towards the group. 

“Did you ask him?” Robin asked. 

“What did he say?” Kid Flash added. 

“He is on his way here now,” Kaldur told them. 

“Then what’re we waiting for?” Wally and Robin ran off. Kaldur and Arsenal followed at a slower pace. Superboy and Miss Martian looked at each other, the latter smiling at the former before they followed as well. As they walked out of the entrance of the cave and a ramp lowered slowly for them to walk out on. As they did, Red Tornado came down out of the sky towards them. “Red Tornado!” Wally called over the winds. 

Red Tornado landed on the ramp and seemed to regard them all. “Greetings,” he said. “Is there a reason you intercepted me outside the Cave?”

“We hoped you had a mission for us,” Aqualad explained. 

“Missions are the Batman’s responsibility.”

“But it’s been over a week!” Robin complained. “And there’s been no-“

“You will be tested soon enough. For the time being, simply enjoy each other’s company.”

“This team is not a social club,” Kaldur said, obviously annoyed. Arsenal reached out brushed the Atlantean’s palm with his fingers. 

“No, but I am told social interaction is an important Team building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the Cave.” He walked past them and Robin practically scowled in annoyance. 

Kid Flash punched Robin’s shoulder to get his attention. “Keep busy,” he muttered in a ‘can-you-believe-this’ tone.

“Does he think we’re falling for this?” Robin asked. 

“Oh, I’ll find out,” Miss Martian replied excitedly. She looked at Red Tornado’s back intently as he walked through the entrance. 

“Recognized, Red Tornado, 16,” the automated voice said as he entered the cave.

“Sorry, I forgot he’s a machine.” Miss Martian looked at them. “Inorganic. I cannot read his mind.” Arsenal shivered a little. He really didn’t like the idea of Miss Martian being able to read their minds. 

“It’s ok,” Kid Flash reassured her. “It was a good try though. So, you know what I’m thinking right now?” Arsenal frowned at how the speedster leaned in closer to Miss Martian. 

“We all know what you’re thinking,” Robin said, elbowing Kid Flash in the back, clearly annoyed. 

‘I clearly don’t,’ Arsenal thought. He spared a glance at Aqualad, hoping his friend would look as confused as he felt. Unfortunately, Aqualad just looked disappointed about their situation. 

“And now we tour the clubhouse,” he said quietly. 

Arsenal elbowed him gently. “I’ve never had a clubhouse,” he whispered. Aqualad smiled at him. 

“Well, Superboy and I live here, we can play tour guides,” Miss Maritan offered. 

Everyone looked at Superboy, who scoffed. “Don’t look at me,” he told them. 

“We won’t,” Kid Flash assured him, turning immediately on Miss Martian. “A private tour sounds much more fun.”

“Sh-She never said private!” Robin snapped at the speedster. 

“This is team bonding,” Aqualad reminded them. “We’ll all go.” They walked down the ramp and Robin pushed Kid Flash back.

“So, this would be our front door,” Miss Martina said as the walked back into the cave. She led them on a direct path through the cave, to a small opening in the side of the mountain. “and this is the back.” Arsenal’s eyes widened a little hone he saw the sea directly below them. It was so much cleaner and bluer than the Gotham Harbor. (He’d also never seen it during the day.) Sadly, they were steered away from it, Arsenal glanced back longingly, which Aqualad noticed. He gave him a smile. “The cave actually takes up the whole mountain.”

“It was hollowed out and reinforced by Superman and Green Lantern in the early days of the League,” Robin explained as they walked. 

“Why abandon it for the Hall of Justice?” Superboy asked. 

“The cave’s secret location was compromised,” Aqualad said. 

“So they traded it in for a tourist trap? Makes sense.”

“If villains know about the cave we must be on constant alert,” Miss Martian said, putting her hand up by her face. 

“Don’t worry,” Robin assured her, grabbing the hand gently. “The bad guys know we know, so they won’t try anything. They’d never think to look here.”

“Uh…he means, we’re hiding in plain sight,” Kid Flash said, taking Miss Martian’s hand from Robin. 

Arsenal crossed his arms. ’Why do they keep doing that?’ 

“That’s much clearer,” Miss Martian said, still sounding still very confused. 

Superboy sniffed. “I smell smoke,” he said. 

Miss Martian gasped. “My cookies!” She started off running, but then ended up flying down a hall. The others followed her into a kitchen where she was levitating a pan of burnt cookies onto the counter. Miss Martian looked at them sadly. “I was trying out Randy Jones’ recipe from episode 17 of-“ She stopped as if suddenly realizing they were all there. “Uh, huh, never mind.” 

“I’m sure they would’ve tasted great,” Arsenal assured her. 

“He doesn’t seem to mind,” Robin added, looking at Kid Flash, who was eating the burnt discs. He stopped for a moment when he realized everyone as watching him. 

“I have a serious metabolism,” he explained slowly. 

“I’ll…make more then,” Miss Martian replied. 

“It was sweet of you to make any,” Aqualad said. 

“Thanks, Aqualad.”

“We are off duty, call me Kaldur’ahm. Actually, my friends call me Kaldur.”

“I’m Wally,” Kid Flash said. He leaned on the counter. “See, I already trust you with my secret ID. Unlike the shades twins over there.” He gestured to Arsenal and Robin. “Batman has forbidden Boy Wonder and Archer Wonder from telling anyone their real names.” Robin put his hands on his hips clearly annoyed, while Arsenal momentarily pondered how strange it was that Wally already knew both their names and Kaldur knew his. 

“Mine’s no secret,” Miss Martian said. “It’s M’gann M’orzz, but you can call me Megan. It’s an Earth name and I’m on Earth now.” Superboy, who had been watching them silently, suddenly turned to leave the room. ‘Don’t worry Superboy,’ Megan thought, causing the clone to stop suddenly. ‘We’ll find you an Earth name too.’ 

“Get out of my head!” he snapped. 

Megan frowned. ‘What's wrong?’ she asked everyone telepathically. Arsenal bit back a scream and flinched backward at the sudden intrusion of his thoughts. Everyone else grabbed their heads and looked surprised as well. ‘Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically.’

“M’gann, stop,” Kaldur said sternly. The voice stopped and everyone but Arsenal relaxed. Robin turned around and found Arsenal on the ground, back against the cabinets. He knelt down and reached out to rub his arms since his older brother’s hands were stuffed in his pockets. “Things are different here on Earth. Here your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy.” 

“Besides,” Wally added. “Cadmus’ little psychic genomes left a bad taste in his brain.” He pointed, not so subtly, to Superboy. 

M’gann looked at the clone in regret. “I-I didn’t mean to-“ she stammered, but Superboy cut her off. 

“Just. Stay. Out,” he ground out before leaving. M’gann looked down at Arsenal, who was still sitting on the floor with a panicked look on his face. 

“Is-is he ok?” 

“Yeah,” Robin said, standing up. “He’s fine. You just…caught him by surprise is all…” He helped Arsenal stand-up and Aqualad reached out to put a hand on the archer’s arm gently. He gave him a look and Arsenal nodded. M’gann tried to think of something to ease the tension, and suddenly smiled and hit her head. 

“Hello, M’gann! I know what we can do!” She levitated into the air and flew out of the room. Arsenal looked down at Robin, who shrugged as they followed. He noticed Arsenal had his hands in his pockets still. 

“Do you plan on taking your hands out of your pockets any time soon?” 

“Not really,” Arsenal confessed. 

“Ok…” Robin let the conversation drop as they were joined by M’gann and Superboy. They followed the former to the elevator and Aqualad noticed Arsenal’s discomfort. He put his hand on the archer’s arm again. Arsenal let out a sigh of relief when they finally stepped out and found a red…egg. 

“This is my bioship,” M’gann said to them as they approached it. 

“….Cute,” Wally said eventually, being the first one to speak. “Not aerodynamic, but cute.”

“It’s at rest silly. I’ll wake it.” She held out her hand and their eyes widened as the egg morphed into the shape of an actual ship. Another flick of her hand and it spun around to open it the back; the door and ramp seeming to come out of nothing. “Are you coming?” The boys all hesitated, but finally, Robin stepped forward. He stopped though when Arsenal grabbed his arm. 

“What?” Robin asked as Wally, Kaldur, and Superboy all approached the ship. 

“I can’t leave!” Arsenal hissed. “Batman said I’m not allowed to leave the mountain.”

“We’ll be on a spaceship, I think you’ll be safe.”

“Robin-“

“Come on, it’ll be fine. You worry too much. It’ll be fun.” With that, he stepped out of his older brother’s grasp and walked towards the ship. Arsenal sighed and followed them slowly. Once inside the bioship, his anxiety didn’t decrease. The inside morphed before their eyes into seats and a control panel. 

“Welcome aboard,” M’gann smiled. “Strap in for launch.” Robin and Wally smiled at each other, then ran to the two closest seats. As soon as they sat down, straps appeared out of the seats and crossed over the bodies. It took Robin by surprise, so he opened his mouth to warn Arsenal, but a panicked shout told him he was too late. 

“It is ok,” Kaldur said to Arsenal, reaching over to put his hand on his friend’s. “It is ok.”

“Red Tornado, please open the bay doors.” The giant doors opened and they lifted off the ground. Arsenal’s heart started pounding as they zoomed out of the mountain. 

“Incredible!” Robin breathed. 

“She sure is,” Wally sighed, looking at M’gann, not that she noticed. Arsenal noticed though, and he shrugged off the speedster’s strong behavior. M’gann did notice it after a second, though, making Wally backtrack. “I mean the ship…which is called a she…” He turned away and crossed his arms. 

“Fast with his feet,” Robin smirked. “Not so fast with his mouth.” 

“Dude!” 

Kaldur nudged Arsenal and nodded to Superboy. He leaned over to whisper to Superboy, “I may not be psychic, but I can guess what you’re thinking. You overreacted and you don’t know how to apologize.” Superboy didn’t confirm it, but he didn’t deny it either. “Just say you’re sorry.” Superboy simply turned away and Kaldur looked at Arsenal, who shrugged. 

“You tried,” he whispered to him. 

Robin saw M’gann’s face fall a little bit and he leaned over to her. “He’ll come around,” he whispered. 

“He doesn’t seem to like me too much,” M’gann replied, just as quietly. 

“You guys do remember he has super-hearing, right?” Wally asked in a whisper that was more of a theater whisper than anything. There was a moment of awkward silence, that Robin decided was one moment too long. 

“Why don’t you show us some of that Martian shape-shifting?” he suggested. M’gann smiled and stood up out of her seat. Kaldur and Arsenal turned around to look. The latter’s eyes widened into saucers as he watched her morph into an older and female version of Robin. She spun around, morphing into Wally as she did. 

“Is it wrong that I think I’m hot?” Wally asked with a dreamy look on his face. Kaldur and Arsenal rolled their eyes as M'gann change back to her normal self and sat back down. 

“Impressive,” Robin clapped. “Though….you’re not exactly going to fool anyone with those.”

“Mimicking boys is a lot harder,” M’gann said in her own defense. 

“But how do you change your clothes?” Kaldur asked. 

“They’re organic like the ship. They respond to my mental commands.” 

“A long as they’re the only ones,” Superboy said. M’gann’s face fell, so Arsenal jumped in. 

“Can you do that ghosting through walls thing that Martian Manhunter does?” he asked. 

“Density shifting?” Megan asked. “No. It’s a very advanced technique.”

“Oh…well…that-that’s ok. I’m sure you’ll…pick it up in no time.” 

Megan smiled. “Thanks, Arsenal.” 

“Flash can vibrate his molecules through a wall,” Robin smiled, practically starting to cackle. “When he does it?” He pointed to Wally. “Bloody nose.”

“Dude!” Wally protested. 

“I know something I can do though.” The parts of the ship visible to them through the windows suddenly turned invisible. “Camouflage mode.” Arsenal opened his mouth to tell her how cool he thought it was, as it was calming his anxiety but was cut off by a sudden incoming transmission. 

“Red Tornado to Miss Martian,” Red Tornado said. “An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor power plant. I suggest you investigate, covertly. I'm sending coordinates.”

“Received. Adjusting course.”

“Pfft,” Robin huffed. “They’re probably just trying to keep us busy again.” 

“Well…a simple fire led you to Superboy. We should find out what caused the alert.” 

Superboy looked out the window as they descended. “I think I know the cause.” They all looked out the window to find a tornado spinning right for them. Miss Martian tried to pull the ship into the air and out of danger, but the tornado reached them before they could get away and sucked them in. The ship was spun around at fast speeds, whipping the occupants inside around. They all cried out and Miss Martian focused enough to get the ship away from the tornado. She quickly navigated a path to the ground and everyone disembarked. They watched as the tornado spun its way to the other side of the power plant. The sounds of people screaming reached them within seconds. 

“Robin!” Kaldur shouted. “Are tornados common in New England?!” He got no response. “Robin?!” He looked back, but the younger teen was gone. 

“He-he was just here,” Miss Martian said in confusion. 

Arsenal rolled his eyes as his younger brother’s cackled seemed to surround them. ‘Why is he always so dramatic?’ Windows blew out in the power plant and his eyes narrowed. “Found him.” 

Inside the plant, Robin was blaster into a pillar, just as the others were running in. Superboy leaped into the air and landed beside him in an instant “Who’s your new friend?” he asked 

“Don’t know, didn’t catch his name!” Robin snapped. “But he plays kind of rough!” Superboy ran to attack their assailant while Arsenal helped Robin to his feet. 

“You ok?” he asked. 

“Yeah, fine, bro.”

“My apologies,” said the red wind creator, with blue tubes on his back. “You may address me as Mr. Twister.” Superboy tried to push through his goals, but they were just as trying as him, keeping him in place. A small, yet powerful tornado suddenly swept him off his feet and spun him into a wall, incapacitating him. Miss Martina looked at the others and Aqualad nodded. Kid Flash pulled his goggles out of his pocket and slipped them on. He sprinted at Mr. Twister, but the winds lifted the speedster right off his feet and out of the power plant. He hit the ground a couple of times before his momentum stopped. Aqualad and Miss Martian attacked next, but the winds that hit them knocked them both off their feet. Aqualad hit a pillar and Miss Martian a wall. Robin and Arsenal looked at each other, then Mr. Twister. “I thought I’d be challenged by a superhero.” Arsenal could see Robin’s hand slipped up his back and under his sweater to his utility belt. The archer reached up his sleeve to pull out his new bow, which was collapsed against his arm. “I was not, however, expecting children.” 

“We’re not children!” Robin snapped, throwing a smoke bomb and a disc at the robot. When the smoke cleared the disc was stuck in the machine’s chest but he merely flicked it off like a bug. 

“Objectively, you are. Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here, quite disturbing.” 

“Well, we hate to see you disturbed!” Miss Martian, Aqualad, and Superboy rejoined them. “Let’s see if you’re more turned when we kick your can!” Miss Martian raised her hands to open something above Mr. Twister, bringing a ton of dirt and dust down on him. Out of the dust Superboy leaped at him, but a strong gust of wind had knocked him out of the air and into Miss Martian, who’d flown up for an attack herself. Arsenal flicked his hand, bringing his bow out from his sleeve. His fingers enclosed around the grip of it and it unfolded. He strung it quickly as he followed Aqualad and Robin. Mr. Twister punched the ground and two separate tornados appear under Aqualad and Robin, lifting them up and then slamming them into each other. 

Worry spiked through Arsenal when Robin fell onto the floor unconscious, but his attention was drawn to Mr. Twister. ‘Neutralize the main threat first,’ he told himself as he jumped into the air and pulled one of his arrows from his own hidden utility pouch. He shot the arrow at the robot, but it was knocked out of the air by a gust of wing and he was thrown back before he could land on the ground. He landed on top of Aqualad and Robin and groaned. 

“Indeed,” Mr. Twister said as he floated into the air. “That was quite turbing. Thank you.” He left and the teens started coming around again. 

“Ugh! Bro, get off!” Robin moaned. 

“Sorry,” Arsenal mumbled rolling off them. He saw his bow a few feet away and ran to get it. 

“That did not go well,” Aqualad mumbled to himself. He looked at Arsenal, who gave him a nod before look at Robin, who also nodded. Arsenal pulled another arrow from his utility pouch and followed the others outside. They got outside just as Kid Flash was sucked up into another tornado and directed towards the building. Miss Martian threw her hands out, focusing on the flashes of red hair she could see of him and held her hands out. 

“We got you, Wally!” she shouted, keeping him in place as the tornado dissipated and she lowered him to the ground. 

“Whoa, thanks!” Wally said as he popped back up. 

“I thought you would’ve learned all your limitations by now,” Mr. Twister noted. 

“What do you want?!” Aqualad demanded, obviously frustrated. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mr. Twister asked as he flew into the air. “I’m waiting for a real hero.”

“Read his mind.” Aqualad glanced back at Miss Martian. “Find a weakness.”

“But I thought I wasn’t supposed to do that?!” Miss Martian demanded. 

“It’s ok with the bad guys!” Robin snapped. 

“Definitely!” Arsenal agreed, reaching out to calm his younger brother. 

Miss Martian closed her eyes and put her hand against her forehead as she focused. “Nothing,” she said. “I’m getting nothing!” She opened her eyes and smiled with an epiphany. “Hello, Megan! Mr. Twister is Red Tornado in disguise. He’s inorganic, an android. How many androids do you know that generate tornadoes?!”

“Red Tornado is the one who sent us here!” 

“After saying we’d be tested soon enough!” Robin pointed out. “This is his test! Just another thing to keep us busy!”

“They think we’re nothing but a joke!” Wally added. Aqualad punched one of his hands and Arsenal hung his head a little in disappointment. Mostly at himself for thinking Batman was taking him seriously and had actually had faith in him. Then Aqualad turned towards Mr. Twister and they advanced on him as a group. “This game ends now.”

“We know who are and what you want!” 

“So let’s end this!” Aqualad yelled. 

“Then consider it ended,” Mr. Twister said, raising his hands to the sky. Twin tornadoes were generated from his hands and crossed each other in an X above him. Dark clouds started curling out of nowhere over the whole group and a third tornado was generated at the crosspoint of the X. Robin and Arsenal gave each other looks of worry. 

“An impressive show! But we will not indulge you! We will not engage!” There was no reply, but lightning started to strike down from the clouds. 

“Uh….Can Red Tornado….do that?” Kid Flash asked a nervous edge to his voice making it uncertain. 

“You think I’m Tornado?” Mister Twister asked. “Perfect.” A large bolt of lightning hit the ground in front of the Team, causing an explosion that sent them flying backward. Everyone was knocked unconscious, except for Superboy, who tore a shredded piece of his old shirt off and leaped at the machine. Mr. Twister simply knocked back with another tornado and he skidded on the ground to land next to his teammates. Mister Twister descended towards the teens, lightning dancing across his hand and arms. Miss Martian came around first and saw him. Thinking fast, she spread out her hands on the ground and they all disappeared from view. Arsenal came around next. He reached over and put his hand on Robin, who was still. Swallowing, he stayed crouched down low, but ready to cover Robin should they be attacked again. Kid Flash woke up with a moan, but Miss Martian covered his mouth. “Fine then, I won’t deny you children have power, but playing hiding and seek will not help me achieve my objectives. So stay concealed. If you confront me again, I will show no mercy.” Mister Twister left just as the others came too. 

Robin scolded and pushed Arsenal’s hand away as he and Kid Flash got up. “What happened?” the speedster asked, still dazed. 

“I…put the bishop between us,” Miss Martian replied hesitantly. 

“Ah!” Superboy grunted in frustration as he punched something. “You tricked us into thinking he was Red Tornado!”

“She did not mean to do it!” Aqualad said quickly, coming to her defense. 

“Yeah, how was she supposed to know?” Arsenal added. 

“It was a rookie mistake,” Robin said, words half directed only at his older brother. “We shouldn’t have listened.”

“Yeah,” Kid Flash agreed, “you are pretty inexperienced.” 

‘Not really what I meant…’ Arsenal thought. He gave Aqualad a look, but his friend looked away.

“Just hit the showers and let us take it from here.” 

“Stay out of our way,” Superboy added unnecessarily as he stalked past. Once he was out from under the bioship, he suddenly took large leaps to leave. Kid Flash followed at superspeed, Robin several feet behind him. 

“Arsenal-“ Aqualad began, but the archer glanced back at Robin and sighed. He took off after his brother. 

“I….just wanted to be part of a team,” Miss Martian whispered. 

Aqualad sighed. “I don’t think we have much of a team,” he admitted before he followed as well.

— — 

Over on the other side of Happy Harbor, Mister Twister was hard at work. Tornadoes spun arcs the water, more resembling waterspouts, as they picked up boats and smashed them either against the water or each other. People ran screaming as two more tornadoes made their way onto the land and tore through the buildings. Mister Twister stood in a park, hands out as he conducted the chaos. “Surely this will get the required attention,” he said. 

“You got ours!” Kid Flash shouted. His voice carried since he was used to shouting above high-speed winds. “Full and undivided!” He jumped up as he got close, his momentum allowing him to kick the robot back several feet.

“Immaterial and insufficient! You are a distraction I can no longer tolerate!” 

“Ahh!” Superboy shouted as he dropped from the sky. Mister Twister moved back swiftly getting himself out of the line of fire. The android created two more tornadoes that came right at the young heroes. 

Luckily, it didn’t take long for Robin and Arsenal to arrive. “You go with Aqualad!” Robin yelled to Arsenal, who didn’t hesitate to follow his friend. The two of them jumped off a car and tried an attack from behind. Aqualad leaped at Twister, while Arsenal shot an arrow at him. The android simply used the wind to spin Aqualad around and blast him backward, into the second-floor porch of a building. Arsenal shot another arrow, which was blasted away and he was knocked off his feet, almost crushing his bother, who somersaulted backward to avoid him. Kid Flash attacked next, running at Mister Twister, who lifted him up on a tornado. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he took off running with another tornado on his heels as he ran. He ran past Robin, who rolled his eye behind his sunglasses and threw an exploding ball in the direction of the tornado. It exploded getting the wind storm off his friend’s back, and in the next motion, he threw three more exploding balls. 

Mister Twister blocked the explosions with another tornado, which dissipated with the blast. Superboy was right behind it though, ready to punch the android. Mister Twister blaster him in the face, knocking him through the air. Mister Twister turned to the water and created a tornado that lifted a boat out of the water and sent it flying towards Aqualad and Superboy. The former was just getting to his feet when he saw the clone tumbling through the air towards him. He dove to the side right before Superboy hit the ground, the boat right behind him. A quick glance around told Aqualad that the closest weapon was the engine of the boat. So he picked it up and attacked. 

Kid Flash ran behind an overturned cars finding Arsenal and Robin behind it. With a flick of his wrist, Robin pulled his utility belt from under his sweater. “You brought your utility belt?!” Kid Flash demanded. 

“Of course he did,” Arsenal said like the speedster was crazy. 

“Never leave home without it,” Robin smiled as he clicked into place. “First thing Batman taught me.”

“Right after never go to the bathroom without it,” Kid Flash muttered. He spied the collapsible bow in Arsenal’s hand and rolled his eyes. “Weirdos.”

‘Listen to me,’ Miss Martian’s voice said in their heads, causing the three of them to put their hands over their ears. ‘All of you.’

Superboy growled. ‘What did we tell you?!’ he demanded.

‘I know, and I know I messed up. I know what we need to do. Please, trust me.’

Robin glanced back at Arsenal and saw his brother’s muscles tense at the words ‘trust me’. He sighed. “Baby steps,” he reminded him in a low voice. 

“Right,” Arsenal nodded, pulling two arrows from his quiver. “Baby steps.” 

Over near the water, a cop was directing people to get away from the chaos. “Everyone get out of here!” he shouted as another tornado tore up a boat. Then he looked up and relief took over his face. Red Tornado was flying towards them. 

“Hit the showers boys,” he said as he landed. “I was hoping you could handle this. Clearly, you could not.”

“But we have a plan now!” Robin objected. 

“The subject is not up for debate.” Arsenal put his hand on Robin’s shoulder to steer him away. 

“I was beginning to think you’d never show up,” Mister Twister remarked. 

“I’m here now.” Red Tornado moved his hand backward, summoning a tornado he threw at Twister. The other android moved backward and to the side a little bit, meeting the windstorm with one of his own. He threw another tornado at his enemy, but Red Tornado stopped it merely by putting his hand out. 

“We are evenly matched.” He moved his hands backward, making a large tornado without even looking. The winds kicked up several large rocks, which were aimed at Mister Twister. 

“We are not!” He knocked them away with a gust of wind and raised his hands to shoot lighting at Red Tornado. He tried to avoid it, but wasn’t able and was knocked off his feet. “Stay still, Android.” Mister Twister held his hand out and wires extended from his fingertips and attached to the prone hero’s head. “Reprogramming won’t take long.”

A red arm suddenly grabbed the wires and Red Tornado’s head suddenly turned into Miss Martian’s. “Harder than you might think.” She tore the wires and Mister Twister stumbled back. A tornado came up behind him and Kid Flash spun out of it. Still carrying momentum, he hit Mister Twister, kicking him over to Superboy, who pounced on the android, He punched him three times before putting his fist straight through the android’s chest. He pulled his arm back and punched Mister Twister so hard he landed in the harbor. Within a second Aqualad came out of nowhere and hit him, sending a jolt of lightning through the metal as he did. The force knocked Mister Twister back onto the land. As soon as he landed, Miss Martian reached out and lifted him up. She held out her other hand and twisted the other limbs off the android’s body. Robin and Arsenal ran up, one throwing exploding dies and the other shooting exploding arrows. They all hit at the same time, blasting what was left of Mister Twister. 

Miss Martian there the body to the ground, but the legs caught it, allowing the torso to sink to its knees. The teens all stood in front of it, Arsenal pointing an arrow with the string drawn back. All their eyes widened in surprise when the chest opened and a man fell out. Arsenal hesitated, his bowstring slackening slightly. “Foul!” the man gasped. “I-I call foul!”

Miss Martian stepped forward and held out a hand, lifting an extremely large rock with ease. Her arm swung towards the man and Aqualad stepped forward. “M’gann, no!” he shouted. The rock fell on the man and a strangled squeak escaped from Arsenal. Robin spun around and reached out for his brother, only for him to pull away. 

“Arsenal, bro, breathe,” he said gently. “In….Out….In….Out…” Arsenal nodded and started breathing. Aqualad glanced back at him, torn between helping the archer and taking care of this. Luckily Robin stupid forward to make the decision for him. “I don’t know how things are done on Mars, but here we don’t execute our prisoners!” Arsenal’s whole body flinched back violently at the word “execute”, causing Aqualad to reach out a hand. His hand brushed the archer’s and Arsenal’s fingers hooked with his for a second. 

“You said you’d trust me,” Miss Martian reminded Robin. She held out her hand and levitated the rock. Arsenal’s whole body tensed as it revealed….a crushed robot. He walked forward slowly, breaking his grip with Aqualad. 

“He-he was a robot?” Arsenal asked in a shaky voice. 

“That’s why I couldn’t read his mind.”

Kid Flash knelt down and picked up one of the robotic eyes. “Cool,” he smiled. He stood up and threw the eye into the air and caught it. “Souvenir.” 

“See?” Robin whispered to Arsenal. “He wasn’t real.”

“We should’ve had more faith in you,” Aqualad said. 

“Yeah, you rock this mission,” Kid Flash laughed. “Get it, rock?” Robin rolled his eyes and shoved the speedster. 

——

“It appears he was created to sabotage and destroy you,” Aqualad said as they stood around the remains of the robot-man not long after arriving back at the cave.

“Agreed,” Red Tornado replied. 

“Is this why you wouldn’t help us?” M’gann asked. 

“No. This was your battle. I don’t believe it's my job to solve problems for you, nor is it your job to solve my problems for me.” All of the teens looked at him. 

“But….if you’re in danger…” 

“Consider this matter closed.” 

“Batman, Aquaman, and Flash, they would’ve jumped right in,” Wally said. 

“Guess if we’re going to have a babysitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need,” Robin added. 

“Dude! Harsh!”

“And incorrect,” Red Tornado said as he walked away. “I have a heart. Carbon-steel alloy.” He stopped and looked back at the boy wonder. “I also have excellent hearing.”

“Ah, sorry,” Robin apologized bashfully. “I’ll strive to be…more accurate.”

“And polite,” Arsenal added, wrapping an arm around him. 

“Uh…yeah.” 

“My friend,” Kaldur said, hand hesitating over Arsenal’s shoulder before he put it back down. “There is something I wish to show you.” 

“Uh…” Arsenal said as he glanced at Robin, who smirked. 

“Go ahead,” he nodded. “We’ll go home in a few. It isn’t like Batman gave us a curfew.” 

“Ok.” He smiled at Kaldur. “Lead the way.”

Kid Flash frowned as he and Robin watched the two older teens leave. “Dude,” he whispered, leaning closer to Robin. “Why does he keep his hands in his pockets?” 

Robin shrugged noncommittally. “He just does,” he replied. 

“It looks like our mentors really do have faith in us,” Kaldur said to Arsenal as they walked. 

“It does,” Arsenal agreed. They turned down another hall and he frowned. “Where are we going, Kal?”

Kaldur’s step faltered a little bit, but he kept going with a smile. “Aquaman showed me this the first day we were here.” He opens a door and the smell of salt water assaulted his nose. 

“What-“ He stepped out onto a tiled floor. In the middle of the room was a pool. “A pool?”

“A salt-water pool.”

“….Isn’t the ocean like….right there?” He waved in the general direction he thought the ocean was in. 

“Is it, but this is more…private.”

“Yeah. I suppose it is.” 

“We wouldn’t be able to do this at the beach.” Kaldur locked the door from the inside and stepped forward to pull the sunglasses from Roy’s face. “I-I thought you’d be a little tired of wearing them all day.”

“Yeah, um….thanks.” He looked around the space. “This is cool.” Something occurred to Roy and he looked at his friend. “You’re gonna be around here, right?”

“Yes.”

“Great! I mean, Batman cleared me to be here so we can hang out here. I know we haven’t been able to spend that much time together in the last two years.”

“I know. We have to….what is the phrase….make up lost time.” 

Arsenal nodded. “Yeah…” He smiled at Kaldur. ‘I think I’m going to like this team thing.’


	7. Campout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, update day. Enjoy!

“Still reading, Master Roy?” Alfred asked him as he set a cup of lemonade down next to the teen. After an early lunch, Roy had disappeared outside. He was stretched out on a lawn chair, a book about mechanical engineering open in his lap. 

“Yeah,” Roy sighed. “I want to tweak my collapsable bow and I think this chapter has the information I need to fix it.” 

“I thought it was operational sir?”

“The shooting power still isn’t as high as I’d like it. I want it to be perfect when I finally show it to Bruce.”

“I’m sure he’ll be very impressed, sir.”

“Thanks.” He took a sip of the lemonade and smiled. “Your lemonade is amazing.”

“Thank you, Master Roy. I shall leave you to your book.” 

“I might go for a walk in a bit.”

“A very good idea. I wish Master Dick shared your love of being outside, instead of locking himself in the gym to perfect even more flips.”

Roy smiled. “At least he’s doing something productive.” 

“I suppose so.” Alfred left and Roy went back to his book. He continued reading for half an hour before he’d finished his drink. 

A glance at his watch told him that it was 12:30 in the afternoon. Sighing as he bathed in the warm, midsummer sun, he stood up and stretched. ‘Now would be a good time for a walk.’ Roy set his book down on the chair and started walking. Going out into the yard was the only time he got get away from the Manor during the day. He remembered when the grounds used to seem so expansive, he could wander them for hours and still find new places. The hill on the south edge, the Wayne Family cemetery on the west side. Now though, having lived there for three years, he practically knew every square foot of the grounds by memory. That didn’t stop him from taking his usual trip though. He followed a gravel pathway away from the Manor. 

Distantly he could hear birds chirping, the noises getting louder as he walked through the garden and towards the trees. Once among them though, he diverged from the path. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he picked his way through the trees. The small forest on this side of the grounds was nice. He kept walking, following the landmarks he’d asked in his head from all his previous trips. The gnarled old tree that vaguely resembled a hand, then five feet until the bush with the red berries, then a left and forward 6 more feet. Then finally a right at the pile of rocks he’d made. He paused at the tree line, becoming completely still, then looking to make sure no one was around. Satisfied he was alone, he stepped out from the trees. 

Roy was about 10 feet from the black, iron fence that surrounded Bruce’s property. It reached up over his head, 15 feet tell he estimated, and continued sharp points at the top. Not that he ever worried about needing to climb it, he had no reason to leave the manor grounds. He ventured up close to the fence. On the other side was 15 feet of grass, then the road. On the other of the road was another 15 feet of grass and then another fence. Beyond that fence was grass and the far-off mansion. Dick had once told him the Drakes lived there. Roy ventured even closer, wrapping his hands around the warm metal of the bars. ‘…..Why do I only feel the heat on my right hand?’ Maybe it was just cooler where his left hand was. He knew Bruce didn’t want him getting too close to the fence since it was close to the road. This was one of his favorite places though. 

Despite it being so far from the manor, a good 20-minute walk, it made him feel close to civilization. The road and the Drakes’ property gave him a feeling of ease. It grounded him in reality. One of his hands slowly uncurled from the bar and slipped through the fence. He slipped it through as far as his arm would fit, which was about to mid-bicep. He stood like that for a minute, letting his hand dangle on the other side of the fence. A sudden movement next door though caught his eye. He saw a red ball hit the opposite fence and he jerked his arm back. The motion caused him to fall to the ground. The distant sound of laughter reached him and he scrambled backward. He stumbled to his feet and ran back into the cover of the trees. In his rush, he tripped over a low bush and fell to the ground, scraping his arms and face when he fell. He lay still for a moment, hidden by the shadows and trees. 

After a few minutes of inactivity, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He looked at his knees for a minute, then sighed and got to his feet. ‘Which is why Bruce doesn’t want me getting close to the fence,’ he thought bitterly. Moving slowly, so as not to draw attention to himself, he made his way back to the gravel pathway. He continued his walk once he was there, going off the beaten path once again. ‘Might as well head back to the house.’ Taking the path back to the east gardens, he let his feet drag a little bit. By the time he made it back to the Manor, Dick was waiting for him. 

“Where were you?” Dick asked. 

“Out for a walk,” Roy replied. 

“Near the fence again?” 

“And?” Roy picked up his book and followed Dick inside. 

“What do you like so much about that fence?”

“Hey, you spend all of your time here and we’ll see how interested in the fence you are.”

Dick snorted. “Alright.”

“What’s up?”

“We’re gonna go hang at the Cave. Unless you want to go back to the fence.”

“No, fine. Let’s go to Mt. Justice.”

“I bet Kaldur will be there…”

Roy smiled as he followed his brother down into the Bat Cave. “Does Alfred know we’re leaving?”

“Yeah, he knows.”

“Ok good.” Roy grabbed his sunglasses and turned around, putting his glasses on, to find Dick holding something out. “For me?” He took them slowly. “Gloves?”

“Black gloves. I got you a red pair too.” 

“What for?”

“Because you can’t keep putting your hands in your pockets.” 

“Oh.” Roy slowly undid the velcro strap at the bottom. He started putting the glove on, then stopped and looked at Dick. “You aren’t going to ask why?”

“I figured you’d just tell me eventually.” 

“I don’t want them to ask.” 

“Who?”

“Them. The Team. I don’t want them to ask.”

“Kaldur and Wally already know.”

“Not everything. They don’t know how my hand got burned or why I’m missing a tooth.”

“They know it was Oliver-“

“But they don’t know the specific stories! Superboy and M’gann don’t know anything! They don’t know about Green Arrow or any of that stuff! I-I don’t want them to ask and I don’t want to tell them-“

“Roy, breathe! Calm down.” Dick put his hands up in a placating gesture. “It’s fine. You don’t want them to know, that’s fine. You don’t have to tell anyone anything you don’t want to.”

“I don’t?”

“No, of course not. They’re not entitled to know anything.”

“Ok. Ok.” Roy finished putting the gloves on, making sure to secure the velcro straps on the wrists. He bent and flexed the fingers and rotated his wrists in circles. “They’re nice.”

“I looked for gloves with the best dexterity I could find.”

“They’re great, Dick. Thanks.” 

“You’re welcome. Come on, let’s get going. I want to beat Wally at video games.” 

“Sure.” 

— — 

When they got to Mt. Justice, Arsenal split off and went looking for Kaldur. He went straight to the indoor pool, figuring this was where he could find his friend. Sure enough, the Atlantean was swimming laps. Arsenal crouched down on the edge. “Hey Kaldur!” he yelled. 

Kaldur stopped and smiled at him. “Arsenal!” He swam to the edge of the pool and rested his arms against it. “How have you been?”

“Good. You?”

“I am well. I hope you do not mind my asking, but why are you wearing gloves?”

“Oh…uh…It’s nothing.”

“Ok.” That was one of the things Arsenal liked about Kaldur. He didn’t push things. “Would you like to…do something?”

“Uh, well…I don’t know.” Arsenal tried to think about what he and Dick did but also felt it was weird that he did the thing he did with his friend that he did with his little brother. 

“Would you like to swim?”

“I….uh….can’t.”

Kaldur froze with his body half out of the water. “You-you cannot swim?”

“Yeah…” The Atlantean slowly lowered himself back down into the water. Arsenal wasn’t sure if he should laugh or shift uncomfortably at the look Kaldur was giving him. Like Arsenal was some kind of exotic animal he’d never seen before. 

“Why do you not know how to swim?”

“Probably because I grew up in the desert.”

“Desert? I think Aquaman has told me about those. There is no water there, correct?”

“Yeah. No water, hence the not being able to swim.” Neither of them spoke for a minute. “Please stop staring at me like that, Kaldur. It’s kind of creepy.”

“My apologies, I just… I cannot fathom how someone goes through their life not knowing how to swim. It is like not knowing how to breathe!”

Arsenal raised his eyebrows. “Kaldur, I’ve never seen you so worked up before.”

“I have never met someone who can not swim before.”

“I’m full of surprises.”

Kaldur shook his head. “Batman has never taught you? Robin can swim, right?”

“Yeah, he can swim. Batman….he taught me how to not drown. I can float, plus I have a rebreather in my suit, so swimming isn’t really important-“

“Not important?! Arsenal, swimming is important. That is like….like saying breathing is not important.”

“Says the guy who lives underwater and has gills.” 

“….That is a good point. Still, I can not believe it.”

“You keep saying that.” 

Kaldur was quiet for a moment before he started smiling. “I can teach you.”

“To swim?”

“Yes. I would not let you drown, I promise.”

“I don’t know, Kaldur.”

“No drowning, I promise. Swimming is fun, you will like it.”

Arsenal hesitated. “….Ok. I’ll let you teach me how to swim.” 

Kaldur smiled as he pulled himself out. “You will not regret it.” He flicked his hands toward Roy, chuckling as the water hit him in the face. “Should we go find something for us to do?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Arsenal went to put his hands in his pocket, then stopped when he remembered the gloves. He let his hands hang down at his sides, but the still drew closer to his body when they walked. Doing something ended up being sparring together in a gym. They hadn’t been able to do this together in a few years, not since before The Night, and the archer had improved a great deal since then. 

“You are very good.” Kaldur ducked and sent a punch at him. 

“Thanks.” Arsenal blocked him and turned his arm to snap Kaldur’s back toward his body and grab his bicep. “So are you.” Kaldur stepped back, but Arsenal stepped toward him in the same moment. The caused Kaldur to take another quick step back and Arsenal stuck his leg behind his friend’s. The Atlantean fell to the ground, dazed. He blinked then smiled up at Arsenal. 

“I believe that is the first time you have beaten me.” 

Arsenal grinned as he pulled him back to his feet. “I’ve had a lot more time to practice.”

“I can see that.” Kaldur let go and stepped back. He put his arms back up. “Let us see if you can do it again.” Arsenal nearly smirked and silly attacked. The two of them kept going for a couple of hours. They would spar until one of them, mostly Arsenal, would win. A couple of times they sat for a few minutes in companionable silence to rest. After a few hours, Arsenal threw himself down next his fiend. 

“Water?” he breathed, slightly out of breath. 

“Yes, please.” 

Arsenal pushed himself to his feet and helped Kaldur to his feet. They headed for the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water. Arsenal downed half of his, while Kaldur guzzled nearly all of his. “Another?” 

“No, this should be fine. Should we go back, or find something new?”

“Uh….let’s find something new.”

“Let us go then.” They started walking around, trying to find something new to do, but it didn’t take long for them to run into M’gann and Robin.

“Oh, good Arsenal!” M’gann said with a smile. She didn’t make him nervous per se, she was too genuine for that, but her telekinetic abilities were a little unnerving. He didn’t like the idea of someone inside his head. “I was hoping we’d find you and Kaldur!”

“What is it M’gann?” Kaldur asked politely, quietly confused. 

“Wally and I are having a campout and I thought you would like to come with us!”

“Camping?” Arsenal asked with immense interest. “Really?” 

“Not far from here. I was looking at the maps of the area and I found an area in the woods a few miles from here.” 

“Nice and hidden?” Robin asked. 

“Seems like it.”

“To go camping?” Arsenal asked.

“Have you done this before?” M’gann asked him, seemingly genuine interested. 

“Tons of times!” 

“Oh yay! This will be so much fun!”

“If Batman ok’s it,” Robin interrupted. “We have to ask him first.”

“And I must ask Aquaman, but I see no reason he should deny my request,” Kaldur said. 

“Let’s go ask B. He should be home by now.”

“Sounds good,” Arsenal agreed. 

“See you later,” Kaldur told him. 

“See you.” Arsenal followed Robin back to the zeta. “Do you think he’ll say yes?”

“Seems innocent enough,” Robin replied. “It’s hidden, we’ll have our glasses, not far from Mt. Justice. Plus its a great bonding activity, so that’s probably a good thing.”

“I hope he says yes.” Robin smiled at his older brother.

‘How can B say no when he looks this excited?’ When they got back to the Bat Cave, Bruce was waiting for them. “Hey B!” Dick smiled as he took his sunglasses off. “We have a question.”

“Oh?” Bruce asked, crossing his arms. 

“M’gann and Wally thought that we should all have a campout, you know a team bonding thing.”

“Dick-“

“It's in the woods, close to the mountain and its just one night. We’ll keep our glasses, hidden weapons, and comms at all times.”

“Dick-“

“Please, Bruce, please?!”

“Dick! I can’t answer if you don’t let me.” Dick’s mouth clicked shut. “It’s fine if you go, Dick.” 

“Yes! Let’s go, Roy- Wait.” Dick spun on his heel and gave Bruce a look. “Do you mean you is in me or you as in us?”

“You as in you.” Roy and Dick looked at each other, both clearly confused. Bruce sighed, though some of it was in amusement. “Dick, you can go, Roy can’t.”

“I can’t?” Roy asked, suddenly even more confused. 

“No.”

“Why not?” Dick asked. 

“It’s too dangerous.”

“Why is it too dangerous? We’ll all be there, the glasses, weapons-“

“He’ll be out in the open where Oliver could possibly find him.” That made Roy shiver, but Dick just rolled his eyes. 

“In the middle of the woods is hardly out in the open.” 

“I said no.”

“But-“

“The answer is no, Dick.” He pointed to the teen as he opened his mouth again. “And if you ask again it’ll be no for you too.”

Roy put his hand on Dick’s shoulder, sensing he would keep arguing. “It’s fine, Dick,” he assured the younger teen. “Really.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah…” Roy was doing a terrible job of hiding the disappointment in his voice. His shoulders drooped a little bit and all the excitement had left him. “You go and have fun.”

“Ok, I guess. As long as you’re sure.”

“I am.” 

“Ok. Want to go back to Mount Justice-“

“Actually, I’m kind of tired. I’m going to go lay down. Tell everyone I said have a good time.”

“I will.” Dick watched him go upstairs, then turned to Bruce and crossed his arms. He didn’t say anything, mindful for the man’s earlier threats. After a brief stare down between them, Dick turned away. 

“Contact me on the comms before you leave,” Bruce told him. 

“Yeah.” Dick put his sunglasses back on and grabbed his utility belt as he left. He headed straight back to Mount Justice, unable to get rid of the feeling of sadness over the disappointed look on Roy’s face. Unfortunately, it didn’t help that Kaldur and M’gann were waiting for him as soon as he exited the zeta. 

“Well, are you joining us?” M’gann asked, practically clapping in excitement. 

“I am,” Robin said.

“And Arsenal?” Kaldur asked, slightly concerned Robin had returned alone. 

“Batman said he can’t come. Sorry.”

“Why not?” M’gann asked. 

Robin hesitated, remembering how Arsenal hadn’t wanted anyone to know about his past. “Just because. Reasons.”

“Oh, ok. Well, we’ll miss him, but I’m sure it’ll still be fun.”

“It’ll be a blast!” Robin smiled, feigning excitement. Maybe if he faked it long enough his excitement would become real. “Where’s Wally?”

“Sulking,” Kaldur informed him. 

Robin smirked. “Now this I have to see.” 

M’gann frowned as she watched him run off. “Why does that excite him?”

“I do not know,” Kaldur replied, lost in thought a little bit. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how excited Arsenal had been when M’gann came to them. ‘Why would Batman deny him something that made him so happy?’ The thought of his friend’s unhappiness wouldn’t leave his mind. Before he could reason himself out of it, he ran after Robin. “Robin!” he yelled, catching up with the bird with ease. He put his hand on the younger teen to stop him. “The reason Batman is not allowing Arsenal to come….it’s….Green Arrow, correct?” Robin nodded. “He thinks it unsafe.” Robin merely nodded again. Kaldur sighed, about to step back, when a sudden idea popped into his head. “Would Batman allow him to spend the night here at Mount Justice?”

“Why?” Robin asked. 

“Just….would he?”

“Yeah, probably. He’s decided Mt. Justice is safe enough for Arsenal to hang out.”

“Excellent. I must go.” Kaldur walked away briefly and Robin frowned as he watched him go. 

“Ok then…”

When Kaldur was alone, he put his hand to his comm. “Aquaman.”

“Kaldur’ahm,” Aquaman said in greeting. “Is anything wrong?”

“Nothing my king, I just had a request.”

“What is it?”

“If anyone should ask, can you tell them something came up and you decided that I was not allowed to go to the campout tonight?”

“Of course, but why? You seemed excited about going on the campout tonight with your teammates?”

“I just…Batman would not allow Arsenal to come tonight.”

“I see.”

“I want to spend time with him and I just want my friend to be happy.”

Aquaman chuckled. “You’re quite the noble young man.”

“Th-thank you, my king.”

“Fear not, your alibi is safe with me.”

“Thank you.”

“Have some fun.”

“I will. Thank you,” Kaldur let his hand drop and smiled. “Now I must figure out how to camp.”

— — 

There was very little noise in his room while Roy laid on his bed. After leaving the Bat Cave he’d laid down and now had no real desire to get up. ‘It’s fine,’ he thought, trying to ignore the clenching in his stomach. ‘It’s fine. It’d be too dangerous. Even…even if it been three years. Even if Dick and Wally and Kaldur are there-

Except the three of them being there was no guarantee of protection. 

‘But its been three years. We…we could last longer, couldn’t we?’

And if his brother or friends got hurt because of him? Because he wanted to have fun instead of staying safe?

‘Guess it probably is a good thing then. Still…’ He closed his eyes and threw his arm over his eyes. Memories of heavy air assaulted his nose. The heat turning cool, yet dry as the sun went down. The feeling of dirt beneath his blanket, no sleeping bag required. The sight stars that filled the sky. The sound of a man’s voice pointing out every constellation, pointing to them and connecting the individual stars like an intergalactic game of connect the dots. Roy gasped and sat up. He blinked and quickly wiped away the dampness around his eyes. “Stop crying,” he scolded himself, throwing his feet over the edge of the bed. “So you can’t go camping for the first time in…8 years, has it really been that long?” It couldn’t have been that long. “Even if it has, you should just be grateful you’re here and not in Star. Just….just be happy.” 

Mind apparently decided, he wandered back downstairs to the Bat Cave. He didn’t talk to Bruce as he sat down at his workstation. He picked up the prototype of the new trick arrow he’d been working on. For a few minutes, he worked silently, trying to work out how he was going to get the rope to wrap around someone’s ankles. 

“Do you need help?” Bruce asked him suddenly, having watched the teen struggle for a while. 

“Uh…..no. I-I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Ok.” Bruce turned to go back to his now work but hesitated. “Roy, I know you wanted to go tonight…” Roy’s fingers froze. “But you can’t…”

“I know, it’s not safe.” The same reason he couldn’t leave the Manor grounds as Roy, or leave Gotham as Arsenal. It wasn’t safe. 

“Good. As long as you know that…” Bruce turned back to his work but then got a comm message over the computer. “Yes?” he growled in his Batman voice. 

“Excuse me for the interruption, Batman,” Aqualad said politely. 

“What do you need Aqualad?”

“I regret I did not secure permission to go with everyone else tonight.”

“And?”

“I wondered if you’d allow Arsenal to come to Mount Justice tonight?”

“Overnight?”

“Yes. I swear, we will not leave the safety of the cave.”

Bruce definitely didn’t miss the way Roy was half turned in his seat, watching him cautiously. “Why do you want him to come?”

“I simply want to spend time with my friend. we have not seen each other a lot.” 

In a clear mistake, Bruce glanced over at Roy, who was giving him a half pleading look. “Very well. Arsenal will join you.” 

“Thank you, Batman.” 

Bruce cut the connection and Roy jumped to his feet with a smile. “Do not leave the mountain under any circumstances. Understand?”

“Yes! I understand. I won’t leave.”

“Good. Go ahead.” Roy ran upstairs so he could put on a pair of sweatpants and a sweater. It only took him two minutes, still pulling his sweater over his head. The teen quickly put his gloves back on and shoved his sunglasses, not his face. It made Bruce almost smile. 

“Uh….see you tomorrow.”

“Have fun, Roy.” 

— — 

When Roy got to the mountain, Kaldur was waiting for him just outside the zeta. “Hey,” Roy breathed in excitement. 

“I am glad Batman let you come,” Kaldur smiled. 

“Me too. I haven’t been outside of Gotham overnight in years.”

“Hopefully it will not be the last time, but the first of many.”

“I hope so. Is everyone else gone?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Good.” Roy took his sunglasses off and put them in the front pocket of his hoodie. “So, what do you want to do?” Kaldur’s smile got even wider. 

“Come and see.” He held out his hand, waiting for Roy to take it. When he did, he still wondered about the gloves but didn’t ask. Roy did notice his friend’s questioning look, but the fact that he didn’t say anything relieved the archer. Kaldur led him through the mountain and into a large room by the hangar. Once his brain took a moment to process what was in front of him, he grinned widely. There was a blanket tent set up on the floor, along with rocks arranged in a circle of a fire pit with a lantern sitting in the middle. “The fire is not real, but I do have a lantern so we have light. I realize, according to my research, this is not what you would normally do when camping-“ He was cut off by Roy suddenly giving him a hug. Roy had never been this physical with him before. His arms flopped at his side for a moment before returning it. It made his heart pound. 

“Sorry.” Roy let go and stepped back, his heart still pouring in excitement. “I just…..you really have no idea how much this means to me.”

“Even if it is not the real thing?”

“It’s great. Really.”

Kaldur breathed a small sigh of relief. “I am glad. Come on, we should camp.” He took Roy’s hand again and led him over to the “fire”. The two of them sat down and Kaldur handed a plate with two tho dogs on it. “I read on the computer this is what you eat when you are camping.”

“Uh-huh…” Roy smiled as he looked down at them. “You didn’t cook them though.”

“….They need to be cooked?”

Roy laughed off the confused look on his friend’s face. “Yeah, Kal. I can’t eat raw meat or….uncooked hot dogs in this case.”

“I apologize, my friend, I forgot it is not normal to eat meat raw like it is under the water.”

“……You eat your meat raw?”

“You could not make a fire under the water.”

“True. But yeah, we need to cook these before we could eat them.”

“How do we do that?”

Roy thought about it for a moment before he smiled again. “I have an idea.” He set his hot dogs aside and pulled Kaldur to his feet. “We need a box.” 

“A box? May I ask why?” 

“You’ll see.” Kaldur followed him around the mountain, gathering a cardboard box, tin foil, a small pan, a lighter, thick wires, scissors, and several pieces of charcoal that Kaldur still wasn’t sure where Roy retrieved them from. “We’re making a cardboard box oven.”

“….You want to cook the hot dogs in this box?”

“Yes.” They sat back down and Roy started assembling. “Once we get the temp high enough, it’ll only take a few minutes to cook.”

“Where did you learn to do this?” Kaldur asked as he helped Roy spread tinfoil on the inside. Roy’s hands hesitated for a moment before he kept going. 

“My adopted dad taught me.”

“You were adopted?”

“Yeah before….before I lived with…..”

“I see. Your dad, he taught you this? Why?”

Roy shrugged. “He didn’t need a reason to teach me how to do things like this. He did it because he liked to do it.” He started putting the charcoal where it belonged. “We used to do stuff like this all the time. Camping and stuff.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sometimes when it was the middle of summer we’d cook by putting a pan on the road outside.”

“Did you live on the sun?”

“I told you it was a desert. It was just really, really hot sometimes.”

Kaldur shook his head solemnly. “I could never live in such a place.”

“Yeah, its not for everyone.” They kept working for another 15 minutes before it was finished. “Here.” Roy handed the hot dogs to Kaldur. “Better put these back in the cooler while we wait for it to heat up.”

“Ok.” Kaldur sat patiently while they waited. 

“So….have you never been camping?” 

“No. We did have some outdoor training when I was in the military, but it was not like this.”

“And it was underwater.”

“Yes, that too.” They were quiet for a minute as they waited for the little box oven to warm up. 

“What’s it like in Atlantis?”

Kaldur’s head tilted to the side a little bit as he thought. “Wet.” Roy snorted. “It is true though.”

“What was your home like?”

“Shayeris? It is….hard to describe. It would not look like any city you have seen on the surface. There’s a certain….art to the design. Perhaps that is why my mother loves it so.”

“Is that where she’s from?” Roy reached around him to grab the hot dogs again and place them carefully in the box oven. 

“Yes.”

“What’s she like?”

“Wonderful. She is kind and heartfelt. I could not have had a better mother.”

“I never had a mother. I mean, obviously, I did at some point to be born, but….I never knew her. She left my birth father when I was a baby.”

“That is unfortunate. I could never imagine my mother doing such a thing.” 

“That’s good. I’m glad you’re close to her like that, it’s cool. What about your dad? What’s he like?”

“He is….a good father. It was difficult for him sometimes, since he was human and did not always understand Atlantean ways.”

“Your father is human?”

“Yes. He is…what is the word….mutated?”

“How?”

“I confess I do not know. My mother has claimed it was her magic that did it because they could not bear to be separated when they fell in love.”

“But…”

Kaldur shifted uncomfortably. “I have always had a feeling that is not the whole truth.”

“Why do you think that?”

“First, understand Atlantans are not cruel, they are a peaceful people.”

“Ok…” Roy was a little concerned their conversation required this disclaimer. 

“That being said….some people in Shayeris seem to not like my family.”

“Why?”

“I am not sure. At times I think it is because I am half-human, but sometimes it seems like it may be something else. Many times, my playmates in school….their parents would not want them to play with me. They always looked at me like….”

“Like you don’t belong?” 

“Yes. Which is strange, because as a child I knew I was a little different but it never seemed important. However, as I got older I started to feel as though I was….”

“Unwanted?”

“Exactly. I-“ Kaldur stopped when he realized Roy had been able to describe exactly how he felt. He looked at his friend’s face and found a strange understanding in his eyes. 

“You felt out of place, right?” Roy prompted. 

“Yes.”

“Do you feel….better with Aquaman?”

“At times, yes. I hope I will feel the same with the team.”

“Me too. You deserve to have a lot of friends and feel like you belong.” Kaldur watched as Roy carefully removed the hot dogs from the box oven. Part of him wanted to say he did feel like he belonged, sitting here with the archer. Then Roy turned to him, holding out a plate with two hot dogs on it and the Atlantean took it; swallowing his words. They ate in silence, with eating with their fingers without a care. After they ate Roy spied the mag of marshmallows partially hidden behind Kaldur and smiled. “Are those for us?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Robin left them.”

“You told Robin about your plan?”

“No.”

Roy chuckled. “Yeah, sounds like him.” 

“He also gave me graham crackers and chocolate.”

“For s’mores.”

“Sahmore?”

“S’more. It’s a dessert you eat when you go camping.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t know Boy scouts or something I think.” Kaldur handed the supplies to Roy, who started assembling the s’mores on the pan they’d cooked the hot dogs on. “They’re delicious, you’ll love them.”

“Excellent.” Roy put the pan back in the box oven and shifted on his sleeping bag. “They’re better when you roast the marshmallows over a fire. You just have to be careful not to set them on fire accidentally.”

“I can imagine.” They traded stories about their childhoods while Roy periodically checked on the s’mores in the box oven. Thankfully they didn’t take long to cook. 

“Careful,” Roy advised as he handed Kaldur his snack. “They’re hot.” Without thinking about it, he blew on his to cool it off. He then brought the snack to his mouth to his mouth, then stopped, s’more half in his mouth, when he realized Kaldur was staring at him. “What?”

“Why….Why did you blow on it?”

“….To cool it off?” Kaldur smiled and shook his head, muttering something under his breath in Atlantean, which Roy strongly felt sounded a lot like ‘surface people’. Once they finished their snacks Roy set their box oven aside to cool and they laid back on the floor. “What now?”

“Well….if we were outside, I’d probably start finding constellations.”

“Consta- ah the stars. I am not familiar with them, but I would like to learn.”

“I can teach you.”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

Kaldur smiled at the dark ceiling. “I will teach you things, and you can teach me things.”

“Looks like we have a lot to get done then.”

“Indeed, we do.” 

They were both silent for a moment before Roy all but whispered. “Thanks for this Kal. You really have no idea how much this means to me.” The emotion in this voice, it's sincerity and longing, made Kaldur smile. 

“You are welcome, Roy. I am glad you are happy.”


	8. Drop-Zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, time for another chapter. Enjoy!

Only two days after his campout with Kaldur, Arsenal was sitting with him in the living room, showing him a map of Arizona. “Right here,” he said, tracing the unmarked area of the reservation. “It also extends into New Mexico and Utah.”

“Did you ever visit those places?” Kaldur asked, studying the area.

“Once. We went to New Mexico to visit a friend of my adopted dad.”

“And this is the desert?”

“Yeah, its all desert. although right here,” He moved his finger to the edge of the reservation’s borders. “There are forests in these mountains.”

“I see. Where-“

“Hey, guys!” Robin called, poking his head in. “Batman has a mission for us.”

“Let’s go.” Roy quickly folded the map and stashed it somewhere before running to catch up with Kaldur. They found Robin, Wally, Connor, and M’gann standing in the main cavern of the cave, waiting to be briefed. 

“East La Santa Prisca,” Batman said, looking at the map on the holographic screens in front of him. “This island nation is the source of a dangerous and illegal neuro-steroid. A strength enhancing drug sold under the street name ‘Venom’. Infra-red heat signatures indicate the factories are still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have inexplicably cut off. That’s where this team comes in.” He turned around to look at them. “This is a covert, recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will.” Batman turned back to the screens and a map of the island came up, marked with an A and a B on opposite ends. “The plan requires two drop-zones-“

“So who’s in charge?” Robin asked suddenly, making Arsenal shaking his head. 

Batman and Red Tornado turned around sharply. “Work that out between you.” Robin nodded, but Arsenal didn’t miss the smile on his brother’s face. He looked away and focused on Batman as the briefing continued.

— — 

Not too long after that, they were in the Bioship, suited up and heading for their mission. Arsenal knew it was a serious mission, but he couldn’t help but feel excited about working so far from Gotham. ‘I’ve never done something like this before,’ he thought. ‘Working outside of Gotham…or Star. Robin’s been on missions with Batman in Central and Metropolis.’ 

“We’re approaching Santa Prisca,” Miss Martian informed them.

Arsenal glanced over at Robin, who was focused on the world outside the window. Every time the Dynamic Duo left Gotham, Arsenal had been left to monitor the city. ‘I can’t mess this up. If I mess up Batman will take me off the Team. I can’t mess up.’ 

“Drop-zone A in 30.” Arsenal and Aqualad stood up, their chairs becoming part of this ship once more. Arsenal stood next to Aqualad and the latter activated the new stealth modes on his suit.

Aqualad looked at Arsenal, who nodded. He looked at Miss Martian. “Ready,” he said. 

“Putting the Bioship in camouflage mode.” Arsenal put his rebreather on and wrapped his arms around Aqualad’s neck. Outside, the Bio-ship became invisible and dropped lower to the water. Arsenal took one look at Robin before the floor opened up beneath them. The two teens dropped down into the water. It was surprisingly warm and Aqualad needed only half a second to get his bearings before swimming through the water. Arsenal’s grip got tighter as the current tried to tug him off his friend’s back. The Atlantean’s tattoos started glowing and he created a small sword with one of his water bearers. He cut through something, then kicked up towards the surface. 

Arsenal dropped down off his back and pulled the water-proof covering off his quiver. He unslung his bow from around it and pulled an arrow out, almost all in one motion. Standing in the shallows, he did slow sweeps of the area, his eyes scanning the jungle on the edge of the beach for any motion as Aqualad ran towards the sensors. Aqualad worked quickly, putting the device they’d brought on one of the sensors. There was a whirring sound and a click, then the blinking light on the sensor stilled. “Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in.” Now safe to move, Arsenal put his arrow back in the quiver and followed Aqualad into the jungle. They ran through the trees and reached a cliff. Arsenal stowed his bow on his back and started climbing up, right behind Aqualad. 

“Aqualad, Arsenal,” Miss Martian said on the comms once they were halfway up. “Drop-zone B is a go.”

“We’ll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP,” Aqualad replied. 

“Roger that!” Robin said. 

Arsenal focused on pulling himself up another foot. He reached out, slowly finding a handhold, then pulled himself up. His left foot slipped, momentarily leaving him hanging from his fingertips. Thinking quickly, he pulled himself up, jumping from his current handholds to the next one. Aqualad looked back at him, silently asking if hew as ok. Arsenal nodded, then continued his ascent. They finally reached the top, Arsenal slightly more fatigued than Aqualad, and then they started running through the jungle again. He could hear the rest of the Team over the comms. 

“Did you hear that?” Conner asked. 

“No,” Kid Flash said, “wait, is this a super-haring thing?” 

“You do have great ears,” Miss Martian said in the tone Arsenal never understood. 

“Ok Rob, now what?” Kid Flash looked around and sighed. “Man, I hate when he does that.”

‘I don’t think disappearing on the Team is a good idea right now, bro,’ Arsenal thought as he jumped over a tree root. 

“Superboy, Kid,” Aqualad said, “switch to infra-red. See if you’re being tracked.” 

There was a moment of silence, and then, “Got a squad of bozos incoming,” Kid Flash reported. 

“Two squads,” Superboy added. “But they’ll meet each other before they find us.” Even over the comms, they could hear the shooting. Arsenal hoped, briefly, that Robin was nowhere near those guns; but he also knew his brother. 

“Swing wide!” Aqualad instructed. “Steer clear!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kid Flash said. “Just as soon as I find Rob.” Aqualad shook his head as they ran, while Arsenal hoped they got there before someone got hurt. Without needing to say anything, they pushed themselves faster; eager to reach their teammates. Over the comms, the heard Wally grunt and then, “So much for the stealth mode.” 

‘Oh no,’ Arsenal thought just as the tell-tale sounds of guns shots rang through the comms. “They’re in trouble.”

“I know,” Aqualad responded.

When Arsenal finally heard Robin, it sent a moment of relief through him. “What is wrong with you guys?!” Robin demanded. “Remember covert?! Why didn’t you guys follow my lead? Vanish into the jungle.”

“That’s what you were doing?!” Kid Flash demanded. “Way to fill in the rest of us! We’re not mind-readers! Well…most of us.” 

“You said I could only read the bad guys’ minds,” Miss Martian said. 

‘I see them!’ Arsenal thought, catching a flash of Robin’s tunic through the trees. Aqualad pulled ahead and jumped down in front of one of the escaping goons. He electrocuted the man just as Arsenal shot an electroshock arrow at the other one. 

“Nice of you to drop in bro,” Robin said to Arsenal as they tied the bad guys up. Once they did, they stepped back and Robin looked at Arsenal. “Recognize those uniforms?”

Arsenal nodded. “The Cult of the Kobra,” he replied. 

“I am certain Batman would have warned us if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca’s Venom operation,” Aqualad told them.

“Agreed.”

“And since there’s no love lost between the cultists and those goons,” Robin said as he mentally put the pieces together. “I’m betting Kobra came in and tossed them out.”

“That’s why normal supply lines were cut-off.”

“We get it,” Kid Flash said, “Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved. Let’s radio Bats and get home in time for-“

“These guys aren’t on venom!” Robin interrupted him. “Kobra’s hoarding this stuff. We don’t leave. Not until I know why.” Arsenal almost smirked at how much like their mentor Robin sounded right now. 

“Until you know why?”

“This Team needs a leader.”

“And that’s you? Dude, you’re a 13-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word!”

Robin chuckled, borderline cackled, at the speedster. “And you’re a mature 15? You blew our cover first chance you got!”

Miss Martian looked at Superboy. “Don’t you want to lead?” she asked, but he shook his head. She looked at Arsenal who took a physical step back. 

“What about you?” Superboy asked her.

“After the Mister Twister fiasco?” She shook her head. 

“You did alright.” 

Arsenal focused on the argument between Robin and Kid Flash, shifting from one foot to the other as he wondered if he should intervene. “You don’t even have superpowers!” Kid Flash shouted. 

“Neither does Batman!” Robin yelled back. 

“But you’re not Batman!”

“The closest thing we got!”

Bane laughed. “Such clever niños,” he smiled. “but you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest. I can get you in the factory, via my secret entrance.”

Miss Martian knelt in front of him and they all waited for a minute. “There is a secret entrance,” she said. “but he’s hiding something.”

“Uh-uh-uh, Chica. Bane isn’t so easy.”

“Ugh! He’s mentally reciting football scores, in español. This could take a while.”

“It’s not that complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” The Team all looked at each other. Arsenal and Robin made eye contact for a moment, both weighing the options of trusting Bane. Face with no other option though, Arsenal gave him a slight nod, then Aqualad. 

“Keep an arrow on him,” Robin whispered to Arsenal as Miss Martian and Kid Flash untied Bane. 

“An electroshock arrow will do me no good,” Arsenal whispered back. “As long as he’s not juiced up a single glue arrow should work.”

“Good. I don’t trust him.” Once Bane was untied, Arsenal casually pulled a glue arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bow, which the villain didn’t miss. 

“What’s the matter, Arquero?” he asked with a smile. “You don’t trust me?”

“You know who we work with,” Arsenal replied evenly. “Why should we?”

“Fair enough. Let’s go.” Robin stuck close to Arsenal as the group followed Bane through the jungle. Arsenal kept his arrow pointed at the ground, muscles these and ready to shoot if he had to. It didn’t take long to reach the factory. They crouched down in the foliage and Robin pulled his binoculars to of his belt. 

“Look at all that product,” Robin said, watching as crates of venom were moved around. “A buy is going down, but if Kobra is selling to the usual suspects, then-“

“We need to identify that buyer,” Aqualad said. 

“Just what I was thinking,” Kid Flash agreed. 

“Yeah,” Robin smirked. “You’re the thinker.”

“Sarcasm? Really dude? A real leader would focus on getting answers.”

“Guys,” Arsenal said, getting their attention. He nodded his head over towards Bane, who was moving a rock. It was one he stepped back to reveal a tunnel. 

“Answers,” he said with his ever-present smile, “are this way.” He walked down into the tunnel and Arsenal followed. 

“So, now El Luchador is our leader,” Kid Flash said, causing Robin to shove him. Arsenal swallowed and focused solely on Bane, eyes following his every movement. The alternative was to notice how small the tunnel was and how easy it would be for it to cave in and trap them. Down here in this enclosed space- Arsenal shook himself. 

‘No, stay focused. Don’t think about that.’ They arrived at a small panel on the wall and put his thumb on one of them. A door built into the wall opened and Robin stuck his head out. 

“All clear,” he declared, darting out into the factory. Arsenal sighed and shook his head as the rest of them followed at a slower pace. They didn’t see him for a couple minutes as they wove their way between vats and equipment. 

“Has that young fool already gotten himself caught?” Bane asked. 

“No,” Aqualad sighed. “He just does that.”

“Relax,” Kid Flash smiled, putting his goggles on. “I’ll go get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder.”

“Kid, wait-“ The speedster paid no attention and took off running. 

“Great chain of command,” Bane remarked. The remaining teens all shared a look, none of them feeling as though they had grounds to argue. 

“Let’s keep going.” As they wove their way between the crates, Arsenal started to get worried about Robin. Batman’s order rang in his head. ‘Robin is your responsibility. Robin is your responsibility.’ The sounds of forklifts sharpened his focus though, and he put his arrow away, satisfied for now that Bane wouldn’t attack them. He joined the others, crouched down behind a crate as they watched the forklifts carry cares of venom. “That’s a massive shipment.”

“Yeah, but they’re only taking the new product off the line,” Arsenal observed. “They’re not touching this Venom.”

“Maybe freshness counts?” Miss Martian suggested. 

Superboy’s head snapped up suddenly. “Helicopters coming,” he said. 

“We need to figure out who is here,” Aqualad told them. 

Arsenal glanced up and spotted a catwalk above their heads. “I have an idea.” The others looked up, all catching on almost instantly. With a glance back to make sure the cultists had moved on, Arsenal shot an arrow up at the catwalk and retracted it. Aqualad wrapped his arms around him at the last moment and they were jeered into the air. Superboy leaped up to it and Miss Martian floated up. Bane climbed up after them just as Aqualad and Arsenal pulled themselves up. 

“Miss Martian,” Aqualad said, “Can you turn invisible and spy on who has arrived?”

Miss Martian nodded. “Of course,” she said. “However, to report back it…it may be easier and safer for me to contact you telepathically.” While Aqualad didn’t miss the look of anger on Superbly’s face, or the look of fear on Arsenal’s…he knew she was right. So, he settled for a middle ground. 

“Contact me telepathically and I’ll pass the information along to everyone else.” 

“Ok.” She turned invisible and flew away from the group. 

Arsenal glanced around, hoping the vantage point could give him a visual on his missing brother. Worry was starting to weave its way through his brain. His heart rate was picking up and his stomach was starting to knot itself. ‘No!’ he told himself sternly. ‘It’s ok. You’re on a mission, stay focused. Robin is ok. He’s fine.’ Thankfully, it didn’t take Miss Martian long to report back to the group. 

‘Aqualad,’ she said mentally, her voice echoing slightly in the Atlantean’s head. ‘Sending telepathic images of the buy now.’ Aqualad closed his eyes and tilted his head down as the image appeared in his mind. 

“Sportsmaster,” he gasped. “He’s the buyer.” He put his hand on his comm. “Red Tornado, come in.” No noise greeted him when he activated it. “Comms are blocked.” 

Arsenal’s hand immediately flew to his own comm. “Robin,” he said, then waited a moment for a reply. “Robin.” 

“We can’t reach anyone,” Superboy observed. “Now what?”

“I have an idea,” Bane smiled. Without wanting, he jumped over the side of the catwalk, landing between two cultists, starting one of them start shooting at the ceiling. 

“What is the-“ Aqualad began, only to be cut off by a giant monster jumping through the window. The monster landing on the catwalk broke it in half, causing the three remaining heroes to fell to the ground. As soon as his feet hit the ground, Arsenal put his hand to his quiver, fingers hesitating over which arrow to use. 

“Destroy them,” the cult leader ordered. 

Superboy ran to meet the monster charging at them and stopped him dead in his tracks. Aqualad used his water bears to make a shield as bullets were shot at him. Using one to keep his shield up, he punched the other one through and shot a water missile at the cults firing at him. Meanwhile, Arsenal was firing off arrows to disable the guns shooting at him. He ducked and wove, never staying still as he shot the arrows off. Despite his rapid and erratic movements, not a single one of his shots missed. Miss Martian flew in through the hole in the wall and started throwing the bad guys around with her telekinesis. Unknown to her, Sportsmaster noticed the way the air around her quivered and seemed to be warped. It made her form not so invisible and he threw his spear at her. Miss Martian turned and saw it in time to dodge, but a small explosion suddenly knocked her sideways and out of the air. Superboy was still fighting the monster but was punched away after getting a few lucky hits. 

Above their heads, Robin ran down a catwalk, surveying the fight. Kid Flash ran ahead of him, looked at what was going on for a moment, then started running again. Robin was about to follow unit he saw Arsenal, now behind Aqualad’s shield as well, as he fired more arrows at the cultists. The two ducked behind a metal structure, both taking a moment to rest, but two more cultists came around the other side. Before anyone could react though, Kid Flash ran up and knocked them down, rendering them unconscious. Aqualad glanced around, then remembered their comms were down. 

“Miss Martian!” he yelled. “Communications are blocked! Link us up!” 

Miss Martian, who had just come to, nodded and reface out to connect all their minds. ‘Everyone online?’ she asked. 

‘Yeah…’ Superboy agreed grudgingly, taking another punch form the monster. 

‘You know it beautiful,’ Kid Flash thought. 

Arsenal simply made an uncomfortable noise, making Robin cackle a little bit; still just as good when he did it verbally. ‘Good,’ Aqualad thought. ‘We need to regroup.’ 

‘Busy now,’ Robin told them, flipping down to the ground. Aqualad turned to Arsenal, only to discover he was gone as well. The archer reached his brother as the Kobra leader approached him. 

“Batman must be truly desperate if he’s sending his whelps to track me,” the man said, clearly unfazed. 

“What’s the matter, Koby?” Robin asked as Arsenal pulled an electroshock arrow from his quiver. “You look disconcerted.”

“This is beneath me. Shimmer, take them.” The woman standing next to him attacked them. Robin flipped over her and Arsenal threw himself to the side as he shot an arrow at Kobra. The man dodged it with ease though. 

‘Robin, Arsenal, retreat now!’ Aqualad ordered. Arsenal nodded to Robin, who rolled his eyes. Arsenal shot a flash grenade arrow at the woman’s feet before she could reach Robin; giving them cover to make their escape. By the time she ran through, both teens were gone. 

Back with the others, Aqualad made whips with his water bearers and used them to push the cultists away. ‘We need to retreat,’ he reiterated through the mind link. ‘We need a clear path through.’ Without needing another order, Kid Flash ran ahead and took out the cultists blocking the path. Everyone ran out after him. Superboy followed a few steps behind but had to stop to catch the fists of the monster again. He was pushed back a few feet, then threw the monster at the cultists that were trying to follow them. He slammed the door shut behind him when he left, but it only took 5 seconds before the monster had broken through it. ‘Superboy, the support beams!’

“Huh?!” Arsenal let out a strangled cry, making Robin glance back at him. 

‘Keep running,’ he instructed. Eyes straight ahead, bro!’ Behind them, Superboy punched out the metal support beams as he ran, bring down a portion of the cave. Everyone stopped at the rocks and dirt separated them from the bad guys. Aqualad pulled a glow-stick out and snapped it, casting a red glow over them. “I don’t get it,” Robin muttered, staring at the wall of rock. “How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?”

“You have the most experience,” Aqualad admitted. “but perhaps that is what led you so unprepared.”

“He’s right,” Arsenal greed. “When we’re with Batman our roles are clear. We don’t need to communicate because we’ve worked together for years…but the Team is new. Our leader needs to be clear and explicit. He can’t vanish and expect others to take part in an unknown plan.”

“Oh, so I’m supposed to hold everyone’s hand!” Robin turned to Arsenal. “You at least should’ve known to follow me!” Arsenal took half a step back and Robin’s demeanor changed in an instant from angry to calm, and slightly guilty. “Sorry, bro. Who am I kidding?” He remembered who it was that had ordered them to regroup and retreat, then looked at Aqualad. “You should lead us, Kaldur. You’re the only one who can.”

“Please!” Kid Flash yelled. “I could run circles around-“

“Come on Kid, you know he’s the one. We all do.”

“Hello Megan,” Miss Martian said, “it’s so obvious.”

“Could’ve told ya,” Superboy said. 

Aqualad looked at Arsenal, who smiled at him, not needing to say anything else. “Then I accept the burden,” the Atlantean said as he approached Robin. “until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now, but soon.” Robin nodded in acknowledgment. “Alright, our first priory is preventing that shipment from leaving this island.” 

“Funny,” Robin smiled. “I had the same thought.”

“You disabled the helicopter, didn’t you?” Arsenal asked.

“You know it.”

“When- Never mind,” Aqualad said. “I don’t want to know.”

“Good idea,” Arsenal told him. 

“Let’s get out of this tunnel.”

“Another great idea.” They took off running down the tunnel as Robin pulled up his holo-glove. 

“Sportsmaster’s the supplier/buyer,” Robin said as they ran, “but that still doesn’t track. He doesn’t have the juice ta acquire the Blockbuster formula. Or the ability to get Kobra to do his dirty work.”

“And neither of them have the chops to bond Blockbuster with Venom,” Kid Flash added, keeping pace with the rest of them. “That takes some serious nerd-age.”

“I believe the expression is…tip of the iceberg,” Aqualad said as they came to a stop, just inside the tunnel. Bane stepped out in front of them, dropping several items on the ground. 

“Halt, niño,” he said. “I’m feeling…explosive.” The Team looked up to see the blinking lights of explosives above their heads. 

“You betrayed us! Why?”

“I want my factory back.”

‘Kid, get a running start,’ Aqualad instructed mentally. 

“So I forced you into a situation where you’d either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would come to avenge their sidekicks; and when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more. When the tunnel collapses with you inside, it should have the same effect.” He held up the detonator, only for it to disappear from his hand and reappear in Kid Flash’s, several feet behind him. 

“With what?” the speedster asked with a smile. “This trigger thingy?” Bane shouted and started to throw a punch at Kid, only for an invisible force to grab him and jerk him up into the air. 

“Finally,” Superboy said as he and Miss Martian approached. He pulled his fist back. “Drop him.” The latter dropped the villain and Superboy punched him as he fell. The combined forces were enough to knock him out. For good measure, Arsenal shot him with a glue arrow to keep him immobilized.

“We still have to stop the shipment,” Aqualad reminded them. “I have a plan.” Quickly, he briefed them with his plan. “Everyone understand?” They all nodded. “Kid, run ahead of us.”

“On it!” Kid Flash said, following orders. He approached the landing pad and took out the guys with guns. Not far behind him, Superboy landed, creating a small crater in the ground. 

“Go again?” he asked the monster. The monster growled at ran at him. Before it could reach the clone though, Kid Flash ran in from the side and took out Kobra so Aqualad could blast the monster with his water bearers. “Sorry, not the plan.” He was so distracted by it, that Sportsmaster was able to sneak up on him. It surprised him enough that he stumbled and back away. None of the shots hurt, but they were coming so fast he had to keep backing up and they tore up his shirt. Miss Martian, having completed her part of the plan already, tried to sneak up on Sportsmaster invisibly, but he whipped his arm around and caught her in a headlock. 

Kid Flash ran up to one of the cultists, knocking his gun from his hands and something off his head. “Souvenir!” the speedster declared. Arsenal shot an electroshock arrow at Kobra’s assistant, which was quickly followed by a rope that wrapped around her from Robin. 

“I know you hate getting your hands dirty,” Robin smiled. 

“True,” Kobra said, pulling back his hood and throwing his robe to the ground. “but sometimes, even a god must swoop to conquer.” Robin attacked him, trying to punch him, but it was blocked easily by the man’s hand. As he fell back to the ground, Arsenal shot another electroshock arrow, which Kobra dodged. Robin jumped up again to kick him, but Kobra caught his foot and kick him backward, over his brother. “What’s wrong boy? You look disconcerted.” Arsenal shot a glue arrow a the man, but he dodged it just as fast as ran up to archer, punching him in the face. The force knocked him back and he fell into Robin, knocking him to the ground. 

Meanwhile, Kid Flash was running around, still disarming the cultists. Aqualad had kept up his blast of water on the monster, and now took his other hand, generated lightning with it, and electrified the water. It electrocuted the monster, knocking him out. Over with Superboy, Sportsmaster still had his tight grip around Miss Martian’s neck as he backed onto the helicopter. “Thanks for the exercise,” he said throwing her at the clone. “But I got to fly.” Superboy looked at Miss Martian, who held up Bane’s detonator with a smile. She pushed the button and the Blockbuster-Venom in the crates onboard the helicopter blew up. Thinking fast, Sportsmaster threw himself out of the burning machine. It crashed into the factory, setting it ablaze. 

Robin was thrown to the ground again by Kobra, who pinned the Boy Wonder down with his foot. “I am plagued,” Kobra said, clearly irritated, “by mosquitoes.”

“Good!” Robin grunted. Behind Kobra, he could see Arsenal getting to his feet again. “Because this mosquito's mighty concerted over your pain!” The foot moved enough for him to somersault away and push himself into a backflip. As he did, Robin landed with the Team and an arrow hit Kobra in the shoulder. He did no more than grunt in pain, but one look at the young heroes, as well as the failed operation, and he smiled. “Another time then,” he said as he backed slowly into the jungle and disappeared. Robin followed him for a moment, but discover he was gone. Frustrated, but satisfied they’d completed their objectives, he walked over to Aqualad and Arsenal. 

“We picked the right guy to lead,” he said. “Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman.” He spread his arms wide at the burning factory and cackled. Aqualad looked at Arsenal, who shrugged. 

“Let’s go home,” their leader sighed. 

— — 

By the time they got back to Mount Justice, it was nearly midnight. Surprisingly, Batman wasn’t the one who greeted them when they got there. “Welcome back, Team,” Red Tornado said. 

“Where’s Batman?” Robin asked as they disembarked from the bio-ship. 

“The Batman will debrief you tomorrow morning. For now, you are to rest here.” 

“…All of us?” 

“Yes, all of you. Robin, Arsenal, Kid Flash, Aqualad, rooms have been prepared for you in the mountain.”

“We have rooms too?!” Kid Flash asked excitedly. “Awesome!” 

“Rest now.” 

“I bet your rooms are near ours,” Miss Martian said to them. “We can show you where.” They followed her through the halls to the living quarters of the mountain. 

“These two have keypads on them,” Kid Flash observed. 

“Those would probably be ours,” Robin deduced quickly. Thinking for a moment, he put in his passcode for the Bat-computer and was rewarded with the door opening. Arsenal did the same and the door unlocked. He stepped inside and looked around. There was a large bed, a desk that was built into the shelf against one wall, and a closet. On the same wall as the door, were two pegs on the wall, one set holding another bow. He smiled and put his own bow on the wall, then set his quiver down next to the wall. In front of the way were two racks of arrows. Wandering over to the closet, he opened it to find many of his own clothes, including the clothes he’d been wearing before the mission, were inside. His sunglasses were on the desk. Grabbing a pair of sweats, Arsenal went back over to the door and shut it. The lock clicked into place automatically and he changed out his suit. He laid down on the bed, muscles starting to finally relax. After a few minutes, he heard something moving around in the vents. He sighed. 

“What’re you doing, Dick?” he asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Dick asked from inside the vent. He pushed the cover open and crowed out, landing nimbly on his brother’s desk. “Coming to see you.”

“We’re supposed to be resting.”

“Keyword: supposed.” He jumped onto the bed and sat cross-legged on the bed next to his brother. 

“What’s up?”

“I wanted to make sure you were ok.”

“Why?”

“….Well…I mean…after I yelled at you…”

“It’s fine, Dick.”

“It’s not. It’s one of your triggers, and I should know better-“

“Hey.” Roy reached out and gently put his hand on Dick’s arm. “I told you I’m ok. You took me by surprise, but I managed.”

“I’ll try not to do something like that again.”

“Thanks. Although, try not to go off disappearing on me again.”

“You should be used to me and Bats disappearing.”

“I know, but this is different. That’s in Gotham, not out in the world where we don’t know the layout. It’s not the same. When you disappeared in the factory, I had no clue where you could be or what you could possibly be doing. I know you wanted to prove yourself to the Team,” he held up his hand, “don’t try to deny it, I’m your big brother, I know these things, but we’re partners, Dick. You have to keep me in the loop, especially when we’re out there.” 

Dick sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess this is a bit more different than patrolling with Bats.”

“It’ll just take some adjustment.”

“Good thing we’re great with that.” 

“Mhm.” Roy yawed. “You should go to bed. We have to explain to Batman why the mission went south.”

“You mean Kaldur has to explain.” Dick got up, hopped off the bed, then climbed onto the desk. “Night, Roy.”

“Night, Dick.” Roy waited until Dick had crawled back through the vent before closing the cover and shutting the light off. He burrowed down under the covers, taking the time to enjoy how comfortable the bed was, then falling asleep. 

— — 

The fowling morning, the Team assembled before Batman, who surveyed them with a look Robin and Arsenal recognized as ‘You messed up’. “Explain,” he said simply. Being the leader, Kaldur stepped forward and told him about how the mission went down. After he finished he stope back into line and Batman was quiet for a moment. “A simple, recon mission. Observe and report.” He walked down the line of assembled teens. “You’ll each receive a written evaluation dealing your many mistakes.” As irritated as he was, he remembered to keep his voice even and stern, not loud and angry. “Until then…good job.” They looked at him in shock and Robin and Arsenal shared a look. “No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen determines success. And who you determine who leads, determines character.” Kaldur smiled at Robin from the corner his eye, which the bird returned. Behind Robin’s back, Arsenal and Kaldur briefly clasped hands. 

‘We survived the first mission,’ Megan said telepathically. Arsenal still flinched a little, but soon relaxed. 

‘We did,’ Kladur agreed. “Hopefully, the first of many.’

— — 

Oliver was playing with the arrow, looking between it and the small tablet in his hand. He moved the arrow around, mentally noting the video feed on the tablet. He stopped when he got to the doorway behind him. “Afternoon Lex,” he said to the man in the video. 

“Oliver.” Luthor walked in. 

“What do I owe to this visit?”

“Have you spied on the children yet?”

“I’m working on it.”

“Well work on it faster.”

Oliver sighed as he set the arrow and tablet down. “Weren’t you the one lecturing me on the virtues of patience?”

“The Light has decided the sidekicks have crossed us too many times. We want them dealt with.”

“What about-“

“Except Roy, relax. We’ve told all of our operatives to make sure he isn’t seriously harmed.”

“You’d better.”

Luthor looked at him sharply. “We will fulfill our end of the bargain Oliver, as long as you fulfill yours. Keep tabs on that team for us and give us a way to get rid of them.”

Oliver sighed loudly. “I have some ideas-“

“Do you seriously have nothing else?”

“Well…given the information you gave me on the League, I think the most likely place they’re set up is the League’s old headquarters in Happy Harbor. If their precious children are there though, I’m certain the security is far above anything I can get past. Although I do have an idea on how to get information from the inside…. since I can’t set foot in Gotham, I need something along the lines of a miracle to make it work.”

“Then you’d better pray for a miracle, because if you don’t give us a way in and get the information we need, then you don’t get to have revenge on the League or get Roy back. Is that understood?” 

Oliver leaned forward and grabbed his arrow, pointing it at Luthor, then glanced at the tablet. “Understood.”


	9. Roy's First Swimming Lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter. The next one will probably be later at night on Wednesday because I'm spending most of the day traveling home for winter break. Enjoy!

“Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis-“ 

“Counting, Master Roy?” 

Roy looked up from the Spanish book Bruce had given him. “Yeah. Bruce thought that I should use my free time master a language.” 

“You picked Spanish?”

“No, he picked Spanish.” Alfred smiled. “I mean, it’s a good idea, you know. I have….a lot of free time on my hands. Especially once Dick goes back to school.”

“Indeed.”

“Maybe I could…learn two languages. That’s possible, right? Learning two languages at once?”

“You would run the risk of mixing them up once in a while, but I see no reason why it shouldn’t work. What language will you choose sir?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll ask Bruce what he wants me to learn.”

Alfred sighed a little. “Might I suggest you study what you want to study, Master Roy?”

“Like what?”

“Well…is there a particular language you’ve always wanted to learn?”

“….I don’t know. I’ve…never really thought about it.”

“Then I suggest you think about it.” 

“I will.” Roy’s comm beeped, causing him to jump. He reached for where it was hidden, then stopped when he saw Alfred’s look. “Uh…I have a good explanation for that.”

“Do tell then, because it sounds like you have a communicator in your room, despite the fact that those are to be kept downstairs.”

“It’s just….” Roy’s excuse faltered a little bit under Alfred’s stern stare, but then his comm beeped again, so he pushed on. “This is the only way Kaldur can reach me.”

“I see.”

“I-I know I shouldn’t have it, but…he’s my friend and I can’t text him the way Dick texts Wally.” Roy waited for a moment, muscles tense as Alfred didn’t say anything. ‘Is he going to tell Bruce?’ The thought sent a shiver down his spine. ’This was stupid, I shouldn’t have done it. Why have I been messing up so much lately, especially so close to my birthday.’ He swallowed. “I’ll-I’ll put it back, I swear-“

“You should keep it under your pillows.”

“I wasn’t- what?”

“Keep it under your pillows, so it masks the sound. That way Master Bruce won’t hear it going off like that.”

“…..O-Ok…”

“Lunch will be ready in 10 minutes, sir.”

“Thanks, Alfred.”

“You’re welcome, sir.” Roy waited until he left and before he pulled his comm out of the drawer in his desk. He put it in his ear. “Hey Kal.”

“Arsenal,” Kaldur said. “I was worried you would not answer.”

“I told you 11:30.”

“You did. Are you coming to the mountain today?”

“…Maybe after lunch.”

“I was thinking that if you did, I could teach you how to swim.”

“Again with the swimming?” Roy laid down on his bed. 

“It’s an important skill.” Roy snorted. “Please?”

“…Fine. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“See you soon.” Roy glanced at his clock, then deiced to go find Dick before lunch. He knocked on the younger teen’s door, then walked in. 

“Sup?” Dick asked, not taking his eyes off his computer. 

“Not much.” Roy laid down on his bed. “I think lunch will be ready in like…5 minutes.”

“Mmm, good.” 

“What’re you doing?”

“…..Working on my computer skills.”

“You’re hacking something Bruce told you not to hack, aren’t you?”

“Look, if he didn’t want me hacking Lex Luthor, he shouldn’t have told me not to.” 

“Uh-huh. Why’re you hacking Luthor anyways?”

“It’s fun to change the colors and fonts on his computer.” Roy snorted. “One time I made it so every time he typed the number 5, it started playing a cat video.” 

“How- Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

“Probably.” Dick finished whatever he was doing and quickly shut down his computer. “Let’s go eat.” 

“I’m going to the mountain after lunch, want to come with me?”

“Nah. Wally and I playing an online game this afternoon. Unless you not ok going alone-“

“No, it’s fine. I can go alone.”

“Meeting up with Kaldur?” 

“Why do you say it like that?” 

Dick smirked to himself. “No reason.”

“Doesn’t seem like no reason.” By the time they reached the dining room, Alfred was serving their lunch. They sat down and Dick started throwing pieces of the crust of his grilled cheese at Roy. The older teen stuck his tongue out at him and started throwing it back. They only stopped when Alfred came in and gave them a stern look. It stopped the throwing almost instantly and they quickly apologized simultaneously and promised to clean up the mess. However, this still didn’t stop Dick from attempting to land pieces of his crust on Roy’s plate. When they finished Dick disappeared back into his bedroom and Roy went to change. It was only when he got to his bedroom that he realized his first problem. He didn’t have a bathing suit. 

‘Have I ever owned a bathing suit?’ he wondered as he looked through his dresser. ‘We didn’t have any public pools in town on the reservation. There were no rivers or lakes to swim in. No, I don’t think I’ve ever owned one. So what am I swimming in?’ He found a pair of shorts that looked like they could be used to swim and put them on, as well as a t-shirt. He strapped on his sandals, threw a sweater on, and grabbed his gloves and sunglasses. “Oh! Hey, Alfred,” he said when he ran into the butler in the hall outside his room. 

“Going somewhere, Master Roy?” Alfred asked, slightly amused. 

“Uh…yeah, I was going to Mount Justice to hang out with Kaldur.”

“I see. Be careful then, sir and be home for dinner.”

“I-I will. Thanks, Alfred.” Roy slipped past him and practically ran down to the Bat Cave. He grabbed his helmet and ran to his bike. The previous year, both he and Robin and been gifted motorcycles to ride during patrol. However, with the creation of the Team, Bruce had recently given hem permission to drive their motorcycles to the zeta, only to the zeta so they could go there. He smiled as he put his helmet on, then race out of the cave. When he got to the zeta, he parked his bike in an alley; making sure the camouflage mode was on and it was well hidden. 

“Arsenal, B-04,” the voice said when he walked through. M’gann flew around a corner and smiled at him. 

“Hi, Arsenal!” she smiled. “Is Robin with you?”

“Sorry, Megan, just me,” he replied. 

“That’s ok. Would you like a cookie?”

“Uh….no thanks.” He saw Kaldur approached them and smiled at M’gann. “Maybe later, Kaldur and I have plans.”

“Ok. Maybe later.” 

Roy slipped past her and practically ran to Kaldur. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Kaldur smiled. “Are you ready?”

“You swear I’m not going to drown?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Roy couldn’t help but feel his brain start to put it’s warning signals. ‘Breathe,’ he told himself silently, taking long, slow breaths. ‘Breathe, it’s just Kaldur. I can trust Kaldur. I can trust him.’ Still feeling a little anxious, he nodded. “Let’s go then.” He followed Kaldur to the pool and they walked in. Once the door was shut and locked, Roy slowly took his sunglasses off. 

“You will need to take your sweater off as well.”

“I know.” Roy took it off and had just grabbed the hem of his shirt when he remembered the scars on his back. After nearly three years they had paled, but others were raised and noticeable. All of them were noticeable if someone were to look at his back for one extended period of time. “I-I think I’ll leave my shirt on.”

“Ok.” Kaldur glanced at his hands. “You should probably take your gloves off.” Roy’s hands tightened. “You will be fine, I will not hurt you.”

“I know it’s just…” Roy stalled for an explanation. ‘This was a stupid idea. Why did I think that I could do this? Kaldur’s going to think I’m crazy for earring them, or see my hand and ask about it and I don’t want to talk about, I don’t want to even think about how it happened-‘ Kaldur had placed his hand gently on Roy’s arm. He didn’t say anything, but he looked concerned by his friend’s sudden silence. Roy took a deep breath. ‘Relax. 5 thing I can see: the pool, the wall, Kaldur, the floor, my sweater. 4 thing I can touch: the gloves; Kaldur, the floor, my shorts. 3 things I can hear: my breathing, Kaldur’s breathing, the small waves in the pool. 2 things I can smell: the salt and the ocean. 1 thing I can taste: the salt water in the air.’ He took another deep breath and now felt like he was in control of his thoughts.

Kaldur noticed he was visibly calmer and asked hesitantly, “Why do you not want to take your gloves off?”

“Because…” Roy took a deep breath. “If-if I take them off, do you promise you won’t ask?”

“Ask what?’

“You’ll understand when you see. Please, just promise you won’t ask.” 

“Ok. I promise.” 

“Thank you.” Roy took another deep breath, then slowly started to take off his gloves. He stalled a little bit when pulling off his left one, but eventually had to set them aside on his sweater. Wanting to put off facing Kaldur, he also took off his sandals before he turned around. Kaldur was already in the pool, waiting patiently. Roy walked over and sat down on the edge. It was warm and a little tingly. 

“Come on in.” 

“Ok.” Roy eased himself down into the water. His shirt floated up a little bit, but he quickly pushed it back against his body. It was deeper than he expected and his head dipped under the water within seconds of him being in the water. In the next instant, Kaldur’s hand was grabbing his arm and dragged him to the surface. His fingers gripped the edge of the pool to keep himself above the water and he gave Kaldur a look. 

“You did not drown.”

“It felt kind of close.”

“I assume Batman taught you to float?”

“…Yeah.”

“Ok.” Kaldur gently lifted Roy’s fingers from the edge, making him wine a little bit. “Relax, I will not let you drown.” He gently pulled his friend away from the wall and out into the pool. He chuckled a little at how nervous Roy was. “Roy, relax, I’m not going to let you drown.” 

“You keep saying that.”

“And yet you keep looking like you think I will let you drown.”

“I just…I’ve never gone swimming before.”

“Please stop saying that, it is very weird.”

“You’re a bully, you know that.”

“Uh-huh. I will let go, just float for a minute.”

“Ok.” Kaldur let go and Roy tried to stay focused on keeping himself afloat. 

“You are doing very well.”

“I’m just floating.”

“Which is very important for not drowning.”

Roy laughed. “I think you’re right.” 

“Are you ready to start moving?”

“I don’t know, I’m doing pretty good with just floating.” 

Kaldur laughed. “You just want to keep floating?”

“…..Sure.”

“Let’s try swimming. Just a little bit.”

Roy sighed. “….Fine.” 

“Ok. Just…do as I do.” Roy watched Kaldur for a few minutes, then tried copying him. When his head dipped down under the water, Kaldur swam up beside him and gave him some help. “You’re doing good.”

“I feel like I’m drowning.”

“Keep your head above the water.” A minute later he had to save Roy again. “Don’t stop moving your legs. That’s why you keep going under.”

Roy splashed him half-heartedly. “Maybe I’m just not meant to know how to swim.”

“Nonsense. Everyone can swim.”

Roy sighed and kept trying to swim. At one point, Kaldur dove under the water and positioned himself beneath Roy. In-between kicking up so many waves and splashing widely, he could see the Atlantean with his back to the bottom of the pool and his face turned up. Two hands suddenly touched Roy’s stomach and he spasmed. His brain reacted with panic, causing him to jerk sideways. Kaldur’s hands pulled back in surprise. Water engulfed Roy’s head and he accidentally swallowed a large mouthful of salt water. Strong hands closed around his arms and he tried to pull away. The grip just tightened though and his head broke the surface of the water. He thrashed around, trying to make whoever it was let go. His back hit a hard surface and the hands were gone. 

A strangled breath eased his lungs and Roy used his elbows to hold himself up on edge of the pool. He took a couple of deep breaths and frowned. Kaldur was looking at him with his hands up in a placating gesture; eyes wide with concern. “I’m-”

“Are you ok?”

“Am-am I ok?”

“Yes, you were….very upset.”

“I…” Roy faltered. ‘I am ok. Kaldur didn’t hurt me. My throat hurts from swallowing the water, but I’m not hurt.’ He nodded. “I’m ok.”

“I apologize, Roy. I did not know that would happen.”

“It’s…it’s ok. I just….sometimes I don’t like to be touched without warning.” 

Kaldur nodded. “I understand. I will remember that for the future and will not touch you without permission.”

“Thanks…” Roy suddenly felt so exhausted. He sagged against the wall, chin dipping down to the water. 

“May I help you sit on the edge?”

“Uh….sure. Go ahead.” His muscles were still a little tense as Kaldur helped him jump out of the water and sit on the edge of the pool. Kaldur dropped back down after, arms moving gracefully as he kept himself floating in one place. “I’m sorry I freaked out.”

“You do not have to apologize.”

“We were having fun and I ruined it.”

“You did not ruin anything. I should not have touched you without your permission. We can try again if you like.”

Roy hesitated. “Could we…try again another day?”

“Of course. This is…something that would work better through multiple lessons.” 

“Multiple lessons. I like the sounds of that.”

“Good. It has only been an hour. Do you have to leave yet?”

“Not yet. Want to do something else?”

Kaldur was about to suggest sparring, their default activity, but realized sparring was probably not the thing Roy needed at the moment. “Perhaps we could play one of those video games Robin and Wally enjoy so much.”

“I think Robin left a handheld one in his room last time we were here.” Roy stood up and took a step back as Kaldur climbed out of the pool. They grabbed their towels, which Kaldur had provided, and Roy slipped his sunglasses back on. He tucked the rest of his things under this arm, then they headed for his room. After he put in his code to get into his room, they entered and he made sure the door was locked before he took his glasses off again. He threw his water, glasses, and gloves on the bed. “Make yourself comfortable while I change.”

While Roy slipped into his closet, Kaldur took both the towels and laid them on top of each other on the ground. He sat down and took a moment to look round the room. The archery equipment didn’t surprise him, but the room was sparse except for that. Not that Kaldur had room to judge since his own room was sparse and clean as when he’d first seen it. Roy stepped back out into the room, now wearing dry clothes. 

“I’ll go to Robin’s room real quick and grab the game,” he said, grabbing his sunglasses and gloves. “Be right back.” Kaldur watched him go again and readjusted himself on the towel. Only a minute later, Roy returned with two games. “These games are easy.”

“What kind of game is it?” 

Roy sat down across from him on the floor. “It’s a racing game. Really easy to understand.” They turned the devices on and he showed Kalur how to connect them to each other, then what the basic controls were. 

“So we race on this track three times?” Kaldur asked once they’d started playing. 

“You got it.” 

“Interesting. Do you do this a lot?”

“Sometimes. Usually, I’d be doing school-work during the day and Robin is busy with his homework until we go on patrol.”

“Do you still go to school?”

“Not exactly. I’ve…finished high school; if you can really call it that. I don’t have like…a diploma or anything formal. Just the self-satisfaction of having an education.” 

“Is that not enough?” The question was innocent enough, but it raised the immediate defensive-gratefulness in Roy’s mind. 

“It’s good, I mean, its way more than I ever would’ve had with…Green Arrow…”

“But…” Kaldur promoted gently as he guided his car over a ramp; sensing there was more to the story. 

Roy sighed a little bit. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to miss out on so much. Like having a diploma. Or a graduation. Or going to dances or joining a club or team.”

“You’re on this team.”

“I mean a team outside of superhero duties. This team is cool, but Robin is on a math team at his school.”

“What is a math team?”

“…..Something he would kill me for telling you about.” Kladur chuckled. “But it’s something he gets to do with other people that he enjoys. It’s something I never got to do, and never can do.”

“I see.” When it was put that way, Kaldur was sad for his friend. ‘It is unfair that Roy does not get to do things he wants to do because of Green Arrow. He should not have to give up living a normal life.’ It made him wish even more they hadn’t been prevented from spending time together for the past three years. Roy desired to have normal relationships and as far as Kaldur was concerned, he desired it after dealing with Green Arrow for as long as he did. ‘I should ask Wally about some surface activities most teenagers enjoy.’ 

They played their video games for a few hours, Kaldur managing to win a few games once he figured out how to use the power-ups. Eventually, though, Roy looked at the time sighed. 

“I have to go,” he said, standing. “You can leave the game on my desk. Rob can get in here to grab it if he wants.”

“When will you be back?” Kaldur asked, setting his game down. 

“I don’t know. Soon, hopefully.”

“Ok. No swimming next time, I promise.” Roy threw his sweater and sunglasses back on as they left. He chuckled as they walked to the zeta.

“Sounds good to me. We can talk after patrol if-if you want.”

“I would like that.”

“Sounds good. Comms at….2 am?”

“Comms at 2 am.”

“Talk to you then.” Roy took the zeta back to Gotham and found his bike. The ride back took no time at all, which was surprising as he had to take the most roundabout route possible to avoid the traffic. ‘Thank goodness the zeta is in a nondescript location. Probably by design.’ He pulled into the Bat Cave, where Bruce was looking at something on his belt. “Hi.”

“Hi, Roy,” Bruce said, barely glancing up from what he was doing. “Alfred said you were at the mountain.”

“Yeah, I was hanging out with Kaldur.”

“Hm. Did you practice your Spanish today?”

“Sí.”

Bruce made a sound that could’ve been a chuckle. “Good. You need something productive to occupy your time.”

“Yeah. I’m going to see if dinners ready.” Bruce didn’t reply as he left. Dick was already sitting at the dining room table, detailing his and Wally’s gaming experience. 

“-but then he went into the castle without me!” Dick said, throwing his hands in the air. “And I died because he wasn’t backing me up!”

“Sounds traumatic,” Roy joked as he sat down across from him. 

“It was a betrayal. I got him back though. When we fought the dragons I “accidentally” moved the wrong way with my shield and he got burned to death.”

“You showed him.” Alfred placed their dinners in front of them. “Thanks, Alfred.”

“Thanks, Alf.”

“You’re welcome, sirs,” Alfred replied. “I’m going to see if Master Bruce is willing to eat tonight.”

“Good luck.” They ate in silence for a few minutes. “What’d you and Kaldur do?”

“He tried to teach me how to swim,” Roy replied.

“How’d it go?”

“It was fine.” Roy didn’t really feel like explaining about how he’d freaked out when Kaldur touched him. 

“Does this mean you’ll actually swim in the pool with me before school starts?”

“…..Maybe.”

Dick shrugged. “Better than before.” 

“Don’t hold your breath though.” 

True never joined them, but the boys were used to it, so they simply met him downstairs. He didn’t say much but merely ordered them to suit up. 

— —  
After patrol, Roy made sure Bruce’s back was turned when he stuck his communicator in his pocket. However, Dick noticed and frowned as the older teen snuck up the stairs into the Manor with the device in his pocket. He quickly finished putting his suit away and ran up the stairs. 

‘Wow, Roy must be in a hurry,’ he thought as he ran up the stairs to stop Roy just as he was going into his room. 

“What?” Roy asked. 

“Going somewhere?”

“Bed.”

“Oh really? Do you usually sleep with your comm?” Roy’s hand snatched down his pocket. “Yeah, I saw that.”

“I can explain-“

“Really? Because it seems like you just want to get in trouble.”

“I just want to talk to Kaldur.”

“You talked to him earlier!”

“You and Wally talk to each other all day and night!” Dick didn’t have a response to that. “And I can’t do it the way you guys do. I can’t text him. My comm is the only way I can talk to him.”

“If Bruce catches you-“

“He won’t, I’ll be careful. Please don’t say anything, Dick.”

“….Fine. Just be really careful.”

“I will. Night.” Roy ducked into his room and Dick shook as his head as he went to his own room. 

‘He needs to get out more.’


	10. Schooled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got home and managed to get this ready for posting. Enjoy!

Arsenal stood next to Aqualad with his arms crossed, watching his friend playing. “You got this,” he said as Wally moved his holographic paddle to hit the just as holographic puck across the holo-table. Aqualad moved his hand to block the shot but missed. Kid Flash scored, winning the game. He smiled and stepped back, taking a bite of the banana he held in his free hand. “Clearly my faith was misplaced.”

Aqualad gave him a look, the playful irritation and amusement evident. “I do not believe you can do better,” he said, giving the archer a light shove. Robin’s shoulders tensed and his mouth opened, a shout about not pushing Arsenal ready on his tongue, but before he could do anything his bother smiled and pushed Aqualad in return. Robin closed his mouth and forced himself to relax. 

The zeta tube whirred to life and the electronic voice chirped, “Superboy, B-05.” Said clone walked into the Cave, clearly in a bad mood. 

“Hi Superboy,” Miss Martian smiled. “How was Metropolis?” Superboy ignored her and walked through their holo-table, causing it to disappear. Aqualad and Arsenal glanced at each other. 

“Mhm,” Black Canary cleared her throat to get their attention. “Ready for training everyone?” She walked in with Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian’s face lit up. 

“Black Canary, Uncle J’ohn!” She flew over and gave her uncle a hug. 

“M’gann,” he said as she stepped back. “I was…in the neighborhood so I thought I’d see how you are adjusting.”

“A few bumps, but I’m learning.” 

“That’s all I can ask.” 

Arsenal glanced over at Superboy, still detached from the group, who walked away. He wasn’t the only one who noticed though, because Black Canary called out, “Stick around,” to Superboy. He stopped. “Class is in session.” She walked to the center of the platform in the center of the main cavern and it lit up beneath their feet. “I consider it an honor to be your teacher. I’ll throw a lot you.” She took off her jacket. “Everything I’ve earned from my own mentors.” She grunted and her jacket slipped down her arms, revealing a bandage on one of them. “And my own bruises.”

‘What happened?” Miss Martian asked. 

“The job.” She threw her jacket aside. “Now, combat is about controlling the fight. Putting the battle in your own terms. You should always be acting, never reacting. I’ll need a sparring partner.”

“Right here! Yeah!” Kid Flash yelled, immediately putting his hand up in volunteering. Robin smirked so smugly, Arsenal was momentarily afraid he’d somehow booby-trapped the platform. The speedster approached their teacher while finishing his banana. “And after this,” he threw the peel into a trash can. “I’ll show you some of my moves.” Robin started snickering. Black Canary merely smiled and threw a punch at him. Kid Flash managed to react fast enough to miss most of it, but she followed up with a leg sweep so fast he couldn’t avoid it. The speedster hit the platform a mere five seconds after stepping onto it, making the others wine a little. “Uhh. Hurts so good.”

“Good block.” Black Canary helps him to his feet. “But did anyone see what he did wrong?”

“Oh! Oh!” Robin said, raising his hand. “He hit on teacher and got served?” Arsenal snorted. 

“Dude!” Kid Flash hissed, rubbing his arm. 

“He allowed me to dictate the terms-“ Black Canary began but was interrupted. 

“Oh please,” Superboy said, clearly unimpressed. “With my powers the battles always on my terms. I’m a living weapon. And this is a waste of my time.”

“Prove it.” The smile on Black Canary’s face made the others slightly concerned for their admittedly indestructible teammate. Superboy walked onto the platform and Kid Flash backed off it quickly. The two fighters stood immobile for a few moments, staring each other down. Then, they each took a stance and Superboy threw a punch. Black Canary was ready though and blocked it, then flipped him over and threw him across the platform; almost all in the same motion. Superboy landed on his back, prompting Robin to start laughing. Arsenal nudged him, but the bird merely covered his mouth to stifle the sound. Superboy rolled over and growled. “You’re mad, good, but don’t react. Channel that anger into-“ She didn’t get a chance to finish. 

Superboy leaped to his feet. “Ahh!” he shouted, running at Black Canary, fist pulled back to punch her. Arsenal’s whole body flinched back at his teammate’s angry shout. Meanwhile, Black Canary merely flipped over Superboy and kicked his feet out from under him. Robin laughed behind his hands again and Arsenal sighed and rolled his eyes. “That’s it!” Superboy got to his feet. “I’m done.”

“Training is mandatory.” Before Superboy could argue, a giant, holographic screen appeared with Batman on it. 

“Batman to Cave,” he said. “5 hours ago, a new enemy attacked Black Canary.” A picture popped up of a metallic looking man. “This attacker was capable of studying, then replicating the powers and abilities of its opponents.” Next, to him, footage played of Superman flying at the attacker, only for his opponent to grab him and swing him around like a rag doll. “Canary called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous, as our foe gains more and more power with each new combatant.” Aqualad and Arsenal gave each uneasy looks. 

“Whoa,” Kid Flash breathed. “One guy with the power of the entire League?”

“In the end, it took eight Leaguers four hours to dismantle the android.”

“Android?” Robin asked. “Who made it, T.O. Morrow?”

“Good guess, Robin, but Red Tornado doesn’t think so.”

“The technology bears the signature of Professor Ivo,” Martian Manhunter explained. 

“Ivo?” Aqualad asked in confusion. 

“But Ivo’s dead,” Arsenal added. 

“So we all thought,” Black Canary told them. “Or hoped.”

“To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized we’re sending two trucks carrying the androids parts to two separate Star Labs facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation.” A map popped up, showing them the two routes. “Every precaution is being taken. We’ll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo, or anyone tries to recover the remains. You split into two undercover teams to safeguard to two, real trucks.”

“Yes!” Kid Flash cheered. “Road trip.”

“So now we take out your trash?” Superboy asked. 

“Do you have something better to do?” Batman replied evenly. Superboy looked away. 

Aqualad looked down at a device in his hand. “Co-ordinates received. We’re on our way.” Everyone followed Kaldur toward the hanger to prepare for the mission. Arsenal noticed that Superboy hung back, but didn’t think much of it. 

‘You never really know with him,’ the archer thought. ‘You never know when he’ll get angry.’ The thought made Arsenal shiver a little. ‘I know I should trust my teammates but…not Superboy. He’s just too angry and unpredictable. I can’t handle that.’

— — 

A few hours later, the Team sat ready on their various vehicles in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Arsenal twisted around to check his quiver and frowned when he noticed Superboy staring through the trees at the android loading. His teammate turned to look at him and he suddenly looked away and put his helmet on. 

“Star Boston is a go,” one of the men said on a radio. Everyone adjusted their comms slightly, patched in to hear their radios. 

“Star Manhattan is a go,” another man replied. Batman gave a signal and the trucks drove away, heading in opposite directions. Superboy, Robin, and Arsenal went with one; Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian followed the other. They followed at a safe distance so they could react if something happened. After a while, two of the decoy trucks split off and they pulled up closer to the real truck. 

“So if like is the opposite of dislike,” Robin began, looking over at Superboy. “Is disaster the opposite of aster?” Superboy looked at Arsenal on his other side, who was pointedly ignoring his brother. “See instead of things going wrong, they go right.” Arsenal rolled his eyes, but Superboy didn’t even look at Robin. “Well, clearly you’re not feeling the aster. Something wrong?”

“Canary,” Superboy replied angrily. “I mean, what business does she have, teaching combat skills to a guy with super-strength?”

“Taking down stronger guys is part of the gig.”

“Yeah,” Arsenal agreed. “Canary learned that the hard way. Same with Batman, Robin, and…me.” Superboy merely pulled ahead, driving in a zig-zag pattern. The drove in silence for a few minutes. Arsenal noticed something rustling on the grassy field to his left. He lifted his hand, a seemingly innocent exercise, but it made Robin nod. The archer kept his peripheral vision focused on the roadside as he drove. Less than a minute later, green, robot monkeys flew out of the tall grass and attached to the truck. Their comms chirped in their ears. 

“Robin, Arsenal, Superboy,” Aqualad said, “Our truck is being attacked.”

“No kidding,” Robin said as they sped up, eyeing the monkeys on their truck. 

“I hate monkeys,” Superboy growled. The monkeys meanwhile, climbed all over the truck, including the windshield and caused the driver to start driving erratically. 

“Robot monkeys! Totally Ivo’s style!” Robin and Arsenal both pushed a button on the center of their motorcycles. Robin switched to traveling on one wheel while the second wheel became a small hovercraft type vehicle. Arsenal’s own bike doing the same, glancing up at the hovercraft. Once he was certain it was keeping his bike stabilized, he took his hand off the handlebars and grabbed his bow off his back. 

“Hey!” he yelled to Superboy. “Switch your bike to battle mode!”

“No need,” Superboy replied, jumping off his bike and onto the truck. The bike fell over and Robin had to jump off his to avoid it; using a modified grape to pull himself onto the truck. Arsenal avoided the two fallen motorcycles, using his knees against the sensors on the side, and placed his right foot harder against the foot stand to go faster. Superboy took off his helmet and started smacking the monkeys off with it. After the first few hits, he dropped it, in favor of ripping the monkeys apart with his bare hands. Robin knocked them off as best he could, still using one hand to keep himself anchored to the back. Arsenal shot arrows from his motorcycle, continually changing speeds and positions to both avoid falling monkeys and keep up with the truck. He grunted a little as his brain focused simultaneously on three things. He’d practiced doing this on his bike before, but that was in Gotham during a slow patrol night with Batman following him in the Bat-Mobile. Never during an actual fight. He gritted his teeth and kept at it though. 

Above his head, Robin’s hovercraft started firing blasts at the monkeys, promoted by the bird controlling it with his holo-glove. Meanwhile, Superboy was getting more and more frustrated with the monkeys as he threw off and dismembered every one that jumped on him. One of the monkeys suddenly shot green beams out of his eyes and hit Superboy in his own eyes. He screamed in pain, suddenly blinded. A group of the monkeys grabbed the clone and lifted him up in the air. They dropped him and Superboy fell onto the road, right in front of Arsenal. The archer wasn’t unable to swerve in time. He hit Superboy and was sent flying onto before hitting the road. He recovered quickly though and ran back to his bike, passing Superboy, who remained frozen for a moment. Superboy leaped after the truck and Arsenal grabbed his bike. He started it up as he did so he could follow. 

Back on the truck, Robin used a bat-a-rang to hit a monkey off, then swung himself up onto the roof. He discovered the monkeys had cut a square how in the roof, then took out his escrima sticks. Spinning them in his hands, he ran down the roof, smacking the monkeys off. More climbed up the truck, but Superboy landed on the truck and the force of his landing knocked the monkeys off. Arsenal drove up near the truck and shot his own modified grapple-arrow at it. It jerked him off his bike and as he retracted it. He kicked off the back of the true to land on the roof. He shot off several arrows, hitting the monkeys in their chests. Superboy continued to throw monkeys off, but unknown to them, two monkeys blasted the tires with their eye beams. The truck suddenly started swerving, causing them to stumbled around. 

Robin dropped down in front of the windshield. “Get out!” he yelled at the driver. As soon as the door opened both Arsenal and Robin grabbed the driver’s arms, jumping off with him when the truck flipped onto its side. They both moved to protect the driver as they fell. The wind was knocked out of Arsenal’s lungs when he landed on the bottom of the group. He gasped a little when he sat up and watched as the monkeys flew off with the case containing the android parts. He sighed and wrapped an arm around his ribs and stood shakily on his feet. “You ok?” 

“Mhm,” Arsenal nodded, then glanced at the driver. “How about him?” 

“He’ll live. Come on.” Robin supported the diver as they picked their way out of the grass. He set the man down and they watched the monkeys disappear over the horizon. Behind them, they heard a loud grunt and turned in time to see Superboy flipping the truck over. They looked back at the clone as he stared at the monkeys flying off. Before either of them could do anything though, Superboy leaped after the monkeys. “Superboy!”

“Aqualad to Robin and Arsenal,” Aqualad said through their comms. “We lost our cargo, did you-“

Robin sighed. “It’s gone. And so is Superboy.”

There was a moment of silence and then, “Aqualad to Superboy. Radio your position, we’ll help you.”

“I don’t need help!” Superboy growled over the comms. “And I don’t want any!” There was silence after that. 

“Superboy?”

“I think he ditched his comm,” Arsenal said on his own. 

“Super!” Kid Flash complained loudly. “Now we can’t even track him.” 

There were another few moments of silence and then M’gann said, “He’s out of my telepathic range. This…Professor Ivo, if he is alive, seems to be two steps ahead of us. Do you think we should contact Red Tornado?”

“Tornado always tells us to handle things ourselves,” Aqualad said. Arsenal crouched down on while looking at one of the androids. “And the mission can still succeed if we recover the parts before they are reassembled.” Robin noticed what his brother was doing and crouched down next to him.

“That’s a great plan!” Kid Flash yelled. “Except for the part about us not knowing where to look.” 

“Maybe we do,” Robin said, plugging his hologlove into the back of one of the androids. “We’d have heard by now if the decoy trucks had been attacked.” 

“So how did these monkeys know which trucks to target?” Arsenal asked. 

“The parts’ GPS! The monkeys tracked the signal!”

“Which means you can track them with this one.”

“It seems that the two groups appear to be converging on…Gotham City.” 

“Wow, they’re going fast.”

“That far south?” Aqualad asked. “M’gann and I won’t get there any time soon. I’m sending Kid on to meet you. Aqualad out.” 

Robin and Arsenal stood up, the former grabbing the android as he did. They both summoned their motorcycles and looked at each other. “Definitely a disaster,” Robin said. “Heavy on the dis.” Arsenal merely shook his head as he stowed his bow on his back. 

— — 

“Do you think Superboy’s ok?” Arsenal asked when they were just outside of Gotham. 

“I don’t know,” Robin replied, cape waving behind him. “Probably.”

“He doesn’t really know how to fight.”

“Why’re you so worried about him? He took off without the rest of us and nearly took the two of us as collateral damage!”

“He’s still learning. Besides, he’s still our teammate.”

Robin sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Besides, how many times has Batman aggravate the League, but they still back him up.” That made his brother snort. 

“Yeah, you got a point there. Why are you sticking up for Superboy anyways? His anger makes you uncomfortable, I can tell.”

“Yeah, but… It’s not really all his fault.” Which Arsenal believed, he just didn’t know if that made him feel better or not. Just as they passed the sign indicating the Gotham City limits, Kid Flash caught up to them. 

“You changed too?” Robin asked. 

“You kidding?” Kid Flash asked. “I feel naked in civies. You still tracking the parts?”

“They were heading through Gotham, but they veered. Wait! Dude, they’re at my school!” 

“Your school?!” Arsenal and Kid Flash demanded at the same time. 

“Aqualad,” Robin said, half looking at his hologlove. Arsenal drove closer and reached out to hold a handlebar of his bike so he could focus. 

“We’re here Robin,” Aqualad replied. 

“I’m sending you the coordinates of where the androids are.”

“Received. We’ll be there as soon as we can.” 

“Dude, we actually get to see your school?” Kid Flash asked as the two vigilantes separated and raved their bikes even faster. He sped up to keep up. 

‘I’ve never even been to his school,’ Arsenal thought. He’d always kind of wished to see it but not while fighting a bunch of androids. They sped through the neighborhood, slowing down a little bit as they approached it. Robin stopped right in front to the gate, jumping off his bike and climbing up it. Arsenal followed right behind him and Kid Flash got enough momentum to run up one side and jump down on the other. 

“Whoa! Gotham Academy? Really dude?”

“Come on!” Robin told him, grabbing his arm as he ran. They followed him to the gym, passing destroy lockers as they went. “Kid, run in and help Superboy. we’ll sneak in the other side.” The group split up, Robin leading Arsenal around to the other side of the gym. They hid easily in the shadows just as Kid Flash came running through. 

“Yoink!” The speedster stopped just short of the two vigilantes with Superboy. Robin threw a bat-a-rang at the now full assembled android. 

“Access: Martian Manhunter,” the android said. He became intangible, causing the bat-a-rang to go right through him. “Access: Red Tornado.” A small twister of wind-generated beneath him and he flew at the team. The air knocked them off their feet, knocking Kid Flash and Arsenal to one side of the gym; and Robin and Superboy to the other. The android turned to fist group. “Access: Captain Atom.” Kid Flash reacted before Arsenal could, the former grabbing the older teen and running behind the bleachers to avoid a blast of energy. Due to his being bigger and taller, Arsenal couldn’t hop on his back like Robin, so he allowed himself to be dragged. They came to a stop in the middle of the gym, but the android was ready for them. “Access: Black Canary.” HIs mouth opened and a sonic scream hit the two of them and knocked them backward. Superboy tried to attack next, but the android simply said, “Access: Superman,” before catching the clone’s fist. 

Robin got to his feet just as Superboy was thrown into the bleachers behind him and he threw two exploding discs. “Access, Martian Manhunter,” the android said. His arms extended out at an amazing length and Robin had to flip to the side to avoid them. Kid Flash ran at him, but the android grabbed him up in a hug; picking his feet up off the ground. “Access: Superman.” Kid Flash yelled as his organs started getting crushed and Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver. He only needed a moment to aim before shooting. “Access: Martian Manhunter.” He became intangible, thankfully dropping Kid Flash, but also causing the arrows to miss him. 

‘Arrows?!’ Arsenal thought as he nocked another one. ‘Did I shoot two on accident?!’

The arrows landed near Robin, who had to resist the urge to gasp when he saw them. They were both familiar, one being Arsenal’s, but the other was also recognizable with familiar green fletchings. ‘Oh man, not now!’ he bemoaned silently. Thinking fast, he hid the arrow so Arsenal wouldn’t see. Meanwhile, Kid Flash ran away from the android as Superboy ran towards it. 

“Access: Black Canary.” The android flipped Superboy over his shoulder and into more bleachers. Arsenal fired two more arrows and Robin threw an exploding disc, which the android was able to duck. “Access: Superman.” His eyes glowed red and Kid Flash ran at the two vigilantes and knocked them out of the way. 

Superboy stood up on the bleachers he’d crashed into and eyed his teammates laying on the ground. He eyed the android and sighed. “Access: Black Canary,” he said quietly. Laughter on the other side of the gym got his attention. 

“Oh, yawn. Normally Amazo would study and mimic your abilities in battle,” Professor Ivo said. “but what’s the point? You’re all such poor copies of the originals.” The MONQI’s laughed. 

“So everyone keeps saying. It makes me angry!” He leaped from the bleachers at Professor Ivo. The small inventor ran to the side as the clone came down on where he’d just been. “Want to see me channel that anger?”

“Oh great,” Kid Flash sighed as he helped Robin and Arsenal stand up. “He’s gone ballistic again.” 

“Maybe not..” Robin smiled, faith growing in his friend. 

“Amazo,” Professor Ivo said as he kept running and Superboy landed where he’d been again. “Protect your master, priority alpha.”

“Access: Captain Atom.” The clone was knocked back by a blast of energy, but Robin had caught on. 

“Anyone want to play keep-away?” he called out as he ran up behind Professor Ivo and kicked him. 

“Oh, me, me!” Kid Flash yelled back as he ran at Ivo. 

“Access: Superman,” Amazo said, stomping his foot and knocking the speedster into the air. 

Robin threw two more exploding discs and smiled at Arsenal. “What about you, bro?” 

“All over it,” Arsenal replied, shooting two arrows. 

“Access: Martian Manhunter,” Amazo said as he turned intangible. He voided the arrows and discs, but Superboy punched his fist into his head. Once his body re-materialized the clone’s fist was in the middle of his head. For a moment nothing happened, and then hushed exploded. Superboy stumbled back but was largely unharmed. The android’s body fell onto the ground, lifeless. 

“Quick, help me disassemble him!” Robin shouted, running up to the body.

“Yes,” Arsenal agreed, running beside him. 

“Dudes, the guy has no head,” Kid Flash said. 

“Don’t take any chance,” Aqualad said as he and Miss Martian arrived. The latter landed right next to Superboy, going to him first. 

“Superboy, are you alright?” she asked. 

“Fine,” he replied with a smile. “Felling the aster,” Robin smirked triumphantly and Arsenal rolled his eyes. 

“Hey!” Kid Flash shouted in realization, “Where’s Ivo?” 

“Robin, you Arsenal and Superboy disassemble Amazo,” Aqualad instructed. “Kid Flash, Miss Martian, and I will search the surrounding area for Ivo.” 

“Got it,” Arsenal nodded. He retrieved an acid arrow from his quiver and started using it to cut the android into pieces. “Good job channeling your anger,” he told Superboy as the clone ripped an arm off. 

“Thanks…” Superboy replied awkwardly. “Sorry about…always getting so angry. I’ve noticed it makes you…uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine- I mean it’s not, it’s just- It’s not you, it’s just…I’ve had bad experiences with someone with a lot of anger who couldn’t control it and would take it out on people around him.”

“I see.” 

“Trust me, it’s not a good habit to get into.” 

“Huh.” There was a moment of silence and then, “Black Canary offered to….be there for me.”

“You should take her up on that. I-I meet with her all the time. She’s a really good listener.”

“Hmm.”

Robin took a moment to make sure the other two were busy so he could run back to where he hid the arrow. He looked at it with a grimace before hiding it in his suit. ‘Just don’t make any sudden movements and I’ll be fine.’

— — 

Back at Mount justice several hours later, Aqualad was explaining how the mission went south this time. “The Amazo android is in pieces again and being analyzed at the two separate Star Labs. But Ivo escaped and since he invented the tech, he’s arguably more dangerous than the android.”

“Capturing the professor will be a League priority,” Black Canary told them. 

“But we understand your mission encountered other complications,” Martian Manhunter said. The Team all gave each other looks, feeling as though complications was an understatement. 

“Complications come with the job,” Batman said, stepping forward. “How you handle them has impressed the League.”

“The whole League?” Superboy asked hopefully. 

“Given time, yes. Kryptonians as you know, have very hard heads.” That made Superboy smile a little bit. “Of course there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. That’s why the League exists. There are some problems even we can’t handle individually.” Robin snorted and Arsenal elbowed him. The latter glanced back and saw Black Canary and Superboy had stepped away and were now talking. The clone looked around, as if sensing he was being watched, and spotted Arsenal. The archer glanced away, but before he did he saw his teammate smile a little. He smiled a little himself in return. 

— — 

When they returned to the Bat Cave a few hours later, Dick hung back while Roy got changed and went upstairs. “You coming?” Roy asked him. 

“In a minute.”

“Ok.” Roy went upstairs and Bruce turned in his chair, giving his younger son a look. 

“What’s up?” he asked. 

“There was…another complication with the mission.”

“What?” Dick took the arrow out from where he’d hidden it. “This was shot into the gym when we were fighting Amazo.”

“Are you sure?” Bruce asked as he took the arrow. 

“Positive. Green Arrow was there tonight.”

“Was this shot at Roy?”

“No, it was aimed at Amazo and saved Wally.”

“It saved Kid Flash?” Bruce was quiet for a moment. 

“What’re you thinking?” Instead of answering, Bruce simply turned to him, now holding two arrows. 

“That this isn’t Green Arrow’s.”

“The tips don’t match…” The arrow Dick found had a slightly rounded tip. The arrow they’d kept after Green Arrow killed two people in Gotham three years ago had two sets of barbs and was sharpened to a deadly point. “Could he have changed his arrows?”

“Or possibly used different ones. Based off what you said happened though, I don’t think it was Oliver.”

“But if it wasn’t Oliver, then who was it?” 

“I don’t know.” Bruce thought about it as he took the arrow form, Dick. “Roy has therapy tomorrow night. While he’s gone we’ll investigate this.”

“Shouldn’t we tell Roy?”

“No. I don’t think it’s Oliver, and it turns out to not be him, I don’t want to upset Roy over nothing.”

“Ok.” Dick didn’t like to keep secrets from Roy, but he agreed with Bruce. ‘We’ll figure out if it was really Oliver. If it wasn’t him though, then who’s going around shooting green arrows? However, they are if they have any connection to Oliver, I won’t let them get within 10 feet of Roy. I’ll make sure of it.’


	11. Therapy and the Second Archer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some of you have been wondering about Artemis, so here's the answer. Have a Happy Holidays and enjoy!

The following night, Roy came downstairs to the Bat Cave, sunglasses in hand. “Dinah said we’re going to have therapy at the Cave tonight,” he said to Bruce and Dick, who were suiting up. 

“Sounds like fun,” Dick said. 

“Are you guys really starting patrol early?” 

“We’ll be back by the time you ’re done with therapy,” Bruce assured him. 

“Yeah, we’d never leave you behind,” Dick added. 

“You should get going. You’ll be late.”

“Yeah,” Roy said as he walked over to his bike, grabbing his helmet as he did. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“See ya!” Dick yelled, waving as his brother left. Once Roy was gone he turned to Bruce. “So, where do we start? Gotham Academy?”

“Not exactly,” Bruce said as he retrieved a box hidden in the trunk of the Bat-Mobile. He turned around and opened it, allowing Dick to see what was inside. He gasped when he saw the green arrows.

“What is this? These- Where did you get them?” 

“I’ve been finding them for the past two weeks.”

“Two- Two weeks?! You’ve found evidence Oliver might be in Gotham for two weeks and you didn’t tell us?!”

“Dick! I didn’t want to upset Roy. None of the criminals were dead and these arrows didn’t match the one I have for Oliver.”

“You could’ve at least told me.” Getting no response, Dick sighed and decided to just let it go. “How’re we going find the owner?”

“I find many of the criminals have been in a certain neighborhood. We’re going to stake-out there and wait to see if the archer shows up.”

‘Better than nothing,’ Robin thought as he followed his mentor to the Bat-mobile. ‘Why is there a new vigilante? And why haven’t I see them?’ The answer was obvious and hit him half a second later: he’d been at the mountain. Even when not on missions, he trained with his team. He and Roy hadn’t missed more than two nights of patrol a week, but they had come late many times. ‘Guess being on a team has an impact on your patrol schedule.’ It had never seemed to bother Batman too much though. ‘But B can stay out as late as he wants. I have a curfew and a bedtime! And Roy…well he at least has a curfew.’ They reached the neighborhood and Robin had his grappling gun out as soon as he left the Bat-mobile. 

His grapple connected to a building and jerk him off his feet in the next second. Moving on instinct, he flipped up to the top of the building. As soon as his feet hit the roof he retracted the line and stowed his grapple on his belt. Robin followed Batman for a few blocks until the older vigilante stopped and looked around. “This the place?”

“Yes. Stay here and keep an eye out.” 

“Got it.” Robin glanced around, then somersaulted forward, letting his cape fall around his body as he came to a crouch on the edge of the building. The roof lip created a small shadow the acrobat was able to squeeze himself into. He settled down and his eyes skimmed the area, looking for an archer or arrows. ‘What if we don’t find the archer tonight? I don’t want to keep this from Roy for days or even weeks!’ Robin wanted answers. Even if it wasn’t Oliver, it could be someone working for him. ‘I don’t think that’s something he’d do, but he’s had three years to let his resentment for us grow.’ Several minutes passed and nothing happened. ‘We only have like an hour and a half before Roy finishes his therapy session! Where-‘ 

A sudden movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Robin held his breath and waited for a moment. There was more movement and he slowly, very carefully turned his head. Had he not been trained by Batman, he would’ve gasped. ‘A green archer!’ The bow in the vigilante’s hand wasn’t hard to miss. Robin shifted his stance slightly, moving the weight from one foot to the other. He watched the archer run to the edge of the building and jumped to the next. The boy wonder jumped to his feet and gave chase. “Batman, I found the archer! She’s heading west!”

“Do not follow-“

“Too late!”

“Robin!” Robin let his hand fall from his comm and turned right, launching himself above a back alley. He grappled to the next building on the block, mentally mapping his route. He crossed back to the other side of the alley and leaped to the top of a gargoyle. The archer stopped below him, not thinking too look up. 

‘They never look up,’ Robin thought with a smirk. The archer moved so her back was to him and the gargoyle, so Robin jumped. He flipped, then twisted landing in a low crouch in front of her. He snapped his head up and glared at her. His movements surprised her, causing her to stumble backward into the gargoyle. Moving speedily, Robin attacked, pulling out his escrima sticks. He struck one of her wrists, but she managed to raise the bow to protect herself. Robin was used to fighting archers though. He stuck one of his escrima’s into her bow and brought them together; wrapping his hands around both sticks. He twisted his arms, then snapped one end of the sticks towards her. The bow fell from her hands and he kicked it away. She swung a punch at him, but he blocked it with ease, then ducked under the next one. He rushed the few inches of space between them and put one of his escrima sticks flat against her neck and the other one just under it. “Who are you?” Under her cowl, the girl’s grey eyes glared at him. “I asked you a question!”

“I heard you,” she replied. 

“So did I,” Batman said, making the girl jump as he appeared behind Robin. The Bat put his hand on his younger partner’s shoulder. “Let her go, Robin.”

“But-“ Robin objected.

“Robin.”

Robin sighed and stepped back, flipping his escrima sticks so he had them in a backhanded grip, but he didn’t put them away. “She’s the archer.”

“An archer. We don’t know if she’s the one we’re looking for.”

“I am,” the girl said. They both looked at her. “You’re looking for an archer vigilante who’s been catching criminals, right?”

“Yes. Robin, her bow.” The girl didn’t move but did follow Robin with her eyes for a moment before returning her gaze to Batman. “Who are you?” 

A look of confusion passed over the girl’s face. “You don't know who I am?”

“Should I?”

“N-no! No, you…you shouldn’t.” 

“You didn’t answer him,” Robin said as he approached them, the girl’s bow in his hand. “Who are you?”

“Artemis.”

“Artemis,” Batman said, almost in greeting. “Why are you doing this?”

Artemis glanced at her bow, still in Robin’s hand, then back at Batman. “It’s…complicated.”

“Try us,” Robin said. 

“….I just want to be different.”

“Different? From who?”

“My dad.”

“Who’s your dad?” Artemis didn’t answer. 

“He’s criminal,” Batman deduced. “Probably more than one person in your family has been in trouble with the law, a lot.” Arrests simply nodded. “May I see one of your arrows?” Once again frowning in confusion, Artemis pulled an arrow from her quiver and handed it to him. He held it up for Robin to see. 

“It matches,” the younger vigilante breathed. “You were the one who shot at Amazo.”

“Amazo?” Artemis asked.

“Gotham Academy, last night?”

“Oh. Yeah, that was me.” She looked at Batman. “So what happens now?” He handed her arrow back to her. “I haven’t done anything wrong. Nothing to cause Robin to come after me.”

“I wasn’t-“ Robin backed down when Batman put his hand up. Neither of the teens said anything as he stared at Artemis without talking for a few minutes. 

“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to show us where you live.”

“I-“ Artemis began but stopped when Batman put his hand up. 

“We will not enter if it causes you any danger. You asked what happens now and that’s what happens now.”

Artemis wanted to protest, but Batman turned away before she could. She sighed and took her bow from Robin. ‘I should’ve known nothing gets past Batman.’

— — 

When Roy exited the zeta tube, Dinah was waiting for him. “Hi,” he said. 

“How are you?” Dinah asked with a smile. 

“Pretty good.” 

“Good. Let’s go, shall we?” Roy followed her through the mountain to a quiet room with comfortable chairs that reminded him of the room on the Watchtower where they used to meet. “Nice room.”

“I’m glad you like it. I thought meeting at the Cave was better since it’s now your guys’ headquarters.”

“It’s a good idea.” They sat down in chairs across from each other and Roy took his sunglasses off. 

“How has your week been?”

“It’s been good.”

“How have you been adjusting to being on the Team?”

“It’s…different.”

“Different how?”

“You know, different than just working with Batman and Robin. There are more people.”

“Do you like that there are more people?”

“Yeah. It’s great. I’ve been kind of….lonely.”

“Lonely?”

“Just… Dick is my brother and I love spending time with him. It’s a lot better than…than with Oliver when I didn’t have anyone to talk to, but it’s still just him. And he’s not my age, you know? He’s a lot younger than me.”

“Unlike say…Kaldur?”

“Yeah. Kaldur is my age. I kind of miss being around people my age.”

“That’s ok. You’re going to be 18 in a month, that must be exciting.”

“I-I guess…”

“Is there a reason why you aren’t?”

Roy hesitated. ‘If I tell her, she’ll tell Bruce, then he might get upset if he knows I’m catching on to him.’ He swallowed and squeezed the arms of the chair. ‘Just…just tell her something else. You’ve got lots of things to be worried about.’ That was a true statement. “Don’t… Aren’t most 18-year-olds getting ready for….life? Or something?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, most 18-year-olds can drive and go hang out with their friends.”

“You spend time with Kaldur.”

“Here at the Cave, but I mean….outside the Cave. Away from superhero stuff. It feels like all I get to do is superhero stuff, especially since I’m done with school now. I don’t want to just be Arsenal all the time.” 

Dinah suspected she knew the answer, but still had to ask, “Have you told Bruce any of this?”

“No.”

“Why not?” 

Roy hesitated, moving his hands together in front of himself. HIs fingers started tapping on the opposite knuckles. “…I don’t want to….” 

“Why not?” Roy was silent. “Do you feel that Bruce doesn’t want to know this?”

“Yes- No- I-I don’t know! He- He never asks. Bruce never asks me what I want. Like-like with learning a language. He told me he wanted me to learn another language because I have so much free-time and he told what language it should be.”

“Do you wish he had asked you, or let you pick?”

“I don’t know. I mean, Bruce knows what’s best for me.” Dinah’s lips tightened just a little bit. “Why should he ask me?”

“Because it’s your life. Do you think you should have some kind of say in what happens?” Roy blinked at her, head tilted a little bit. It sent a small spike of alarm through Dinah. “Do you think you should have a say in your life?”

“….Why? I’m safe in Gotham. I’m safe and if all Bruce asks that I stay hidden and do things sometimes then that seems reasonable. It’s not like with Ollie, he doesn’t force me to be Arsenal, or force me to eat or not eat, or force me to practice for hours and hours without a break or force me to patrol without eating. Bruce….he isn’t Oliver he doesn’t force me to do things.” 

Dinah touched her fingertips together in front of her for a moment as she thought over what Roy had very defensively said. “Roy, I’m not trying to get Bruce in trouble-“

“Can we talk about something else?”

Disappointment filled her, but she nodded. “Of course. Can I just ask you a question about Arsenal really quick?”

“Sure.”

“Do you always enjoy working with Batman, or do you ever wish you could have freedom? I know he doesn’t let you leave Gotham and keeps you and Robin close by most of the time.” 

“….Yeah, actually. I wish I could have the chance to do something on my own for once. Just to see what’s it’s like and I think I could do it, depending on what it is.”

“Thank you. Now, have you had an anxiety attack in the last week?”

“Some close calls.”

“Why don’t we examine what happened then.”

— — 

When they reached the small apartment building, Batman disappeared and Robin followed Artemis through a window. “What is this place?” he asked, looking around. 

“My room,” Artemis said as she turned the light one. She crossed her arms at him. 

“Oh, uh…” Robin looked around and rubbed the back of his neck. “Cool, cool.” 

“Artemis!” a woman called from the other room. “Artemis, come here!”

“Who’s that?” Robin whispered. 

“My mom,” Artemis replied in a similarly hushed voice. She glanced down at herself, then sighed. There was no time to change. ‘I’ll just have to take whatever lecture I get when she sees me.’ She turned around to address Robin. “Just…stay here and be-“ She blinked when she discovered he was gone. “Robin? Robin?”

“Artemis!” her mom called. 

“Coming, Mom!” Artemis set her bow down and pulled back her cowl as she left her room. She stepped out into the living room, bracing herself for the lecture she was sure to be getting from her mom. Instead, she almost gasped when she saw Batman standing there and Robin sitting on the couch. “How-“ Her mom gave her a look that seemed to say ‘would you like to explain this?’ Artemis opened her mouth but suddenly didn’t know what to say. “I’m a vigilante.” Paul Crock raised an eyebrow. 

“Mrs. Crock,” Batman said. “You have expressed that neither yourself or Artemis wants for her to follow in the footsteps of her father and sister.”

“Or myself, yes,” Paula nodded, while Artemis stared at Batman with her eyes wide. 

‘How does he know that?!’ she demanded mentally. She looked at Robin, who smiled at her like he hadn’t just attacked her less than 15 minutes before. 

“I would prefer that she has a normal life-“

“Being a hero is about as far as I can get from Dad and Jade,” Artemis pointed out. 

Batman studied her for a moment, making the teen shiver a little bit and causing goosebumps to rise not he back of her neck. Finally, after a full minute of observation, he spoke. “Mrs. Crock, with your permission, of course, I would like to make an offer to Artemis.” Paula narrowed her eyes and her lips narrowed into a frown but gestured for him to continue. “Artemis, if you wish to be trained as a hero, then you can join the Team. You will train with them and go on missions with them.”

“What’s the catch?”

“You stop all your vigilante work in Gotham immediately.”

‘Should’ve seen that coming,’ she thought. ‘I shouldn’t be surprised though. I mean, he has Arsenal-‘ Suddenly remembering the archer made her look at Robin. “Where’s Arsenal?”

“He has something else to do right now,” Robin replied easily. “But he’s on the Team, so if you are too then you’ll be seeing him a lot.” 

Artemis looked down. ‘It’s not exactly what I wanted, except it is. Wasn’t I just saying the other night how much I wanted to be like them? To work with them? Batman’s giving me a chance, the best chance, to not end up like Dad and Jade.’ She nodded to herself and looked up. “Deal.” 

Batman nodded, then looked at Paula. The latter looked at her daughter. Paula sighed. “You will look after her?” she asked, not taking her eyes off her daughter. 

“You have my word, that I, as well as the rest of the Justice League, will do everything we can to help her and keep her from unnecessary harm.” 

Paula nodded. “Very well. She can join your little team.” 

Artemis smiled and Robin grinned at her. “Welcome to the Team,” he said as he stood up. “It’s the best, you’ll love it.”

“Artemis,” Batman said as Robin joined him. “In a few days, we will introduce you. Robin will come here to show you how to get to Mount Justice.”

“See you soon.” 

Artemis turned to her mother, who was giving her a hard look. “I don’t suppose becoming a superhero gets me out of a lecture does it?” she asked hopefully. 

“I don’t appreciate you sneaking around like this Artemis,” her mother said. 

“I know.”

“You need to be careful-“

“I will.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I’ll be fine, Mom.” Artemis knelt down and gave her mom a hug. “I’m going to prove Dad wrong, you’ll see.”

“I know you will.”

— — 

After patrol, Batman dropped Arsenal and Robin back off in the Bat-Cave and left as usual, but instead if going back to the patrol, he headed for the zeta tube. He stepped through into Mount Justice and made his way to the room where Dinah had told him to meet her. As soon as he stepped inside he made sure the door was securely locked before taking his cowl off. “Dinah,” he said in greeting. 

“Bruce,” Dinah said. She gestured for him to sit. 

“You said we don’t need to meet as frequently.”

“Not as frequently doesn’t mean not at all.” She crossed her legs. “And that included the fact that we would meet if I was worried about Roy.”

“What’s wrong? He’s been a lot better-“

“I know and I’m very happy for it. I’m concerned about…” She hesitated for a moment, then made a split second decision and took a course of action. “I’m concerned Roy needs more independence.”

“Independence?” Bruce’s brow furrowed. 

“Yes. He’s going to be 18 next month and most teenagers his age crave independence. Being able to do things on their own. Roy stills seems dependent on you, which isn’t surprising considering the circumstances, but I think he would benefit from doing something alone.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“What about letting him solve a case alone or giving him a solo mission?”

“A solo mission? Outside of Gotham where he’ll be-“

“In no more danger than he’s in with the Team. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated. A straightforward mission he can have the satisfaction of knowing he completed it on his own.”

‘He has been getting a little antsy lately,’ Bruce thought. ‘I even have something in mind that he could do very easily. It would help his self-esteem and help him be less reliant on me or Robin.’ He nodded. “Very well. I’ll give Roy a solo mission.”

“Good, I’m glad. This freedom will do him a lot of good.”

“Other than that though, he’s doing well?”

“Yes. His symptoms are much milder and he’s able to utilize ground techniques to keep himself calm during an anxiety or panic attack. He really is dong very well Bruce, especially when considering the scope of his trauma.”

“So the therapy’s working, then? He’s cured?”

Dinah gave him a sharp look. “I didn’t say that. We’ve had this conversation before, Bruce. You can’t think of this in terms of him being cured. PTSD isn’t that simple. My goal is to give him the tools to live a healthy and full life. As long as he’s doing that, he’s fulfilling the goals of his therapy. Is that understood?” Bruce nodded and her tone softened. “I know you wish that his PTSD would go away. I don’t him to suffer because of what happened either, but we need to focus on helping him manage what he can and how to help him live a good life that isn’t dictated by panic attacks and night terrors.”

“I know, I know.”

“Good.” She sat back and almost sighed. ‘I know he cares about Roy. That doesn’t excuse it though. I won’t address his behavior just yet though. Let’s see if giving Roy small freedom changes him. If not then I’ll use a more brick-to-the-face-type method.’

— — 

When Bruce got home, Roy was still downstairs, working on a trick arrow. “Alfred didn’t send you to bed?” he asked. 

“No, he’s been a little bit more lax about the bedtime thing lately,” Roy replied. 

“Oh, well this works out well, actually. Come here.”

“What’s going on?” Roy followed Bruce to the computer and stood side the man as he sat down. 

“I have a mission for you.”

“Me? Just-just me?”

“Yes.” Bruce picked up a file from a small pile and handed it to him. Roy opened it and found a picture of a woman. “The League of Shadows has been keeping this woman, Dr. Sterling Roquette, against her will.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I assume she’s been working on some kind of project for them.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Rescue her. Get her to a secure location so we can find out what the League of Shadows was after. All the information we’ve gathered is in there, and it should be enough for you to plan. Any questions?”

“No.”

“Ok. You leave in two days, so you should start planning soon.”

“Of course. I-I won’t let you down.” 

“I know.” 

Roy walked away, but Bruce didn’t miss the smile on his face. ‘Looks like this was a good idea then. Dinah is on to something. If this goes well then I’ll start giving him small cases here. Just small ones though. I don’t want him wandering too far.’


	12. Infiltrator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I accidentally posted chapter 13, so I had to fix it and post the correct chapter instead. So enjoy the actual chapter 12.

The fortress blended in with the darkness, making it the most imposing structure Arsenal had ever seen. It was seriously giving even Arkham a run for its money. ‘Focus,’ he told himself sternly as he scaled a wall. ‘You have a mission to complete. He ran across a rooftop of the wall, coming across a guard on the ground. Moving with ease, he got a shot off, shooting an electroshock arrow at the guard, which took him down quickly. The coast now clear, Arsenal jumped down to the ground and ran towards the compound. He shot an arrow with a rope attached to the roof, where itself attached, and started climbing. As much as he knew it would tire him, he tried to use his upper body as much as possible. The rope jostled less and reacted a lot less movement so he could get past the guards in the towers unseen. Once on the roof, he followed the route he memorized from satellite pictures, stopping just behind a corner. 

A security camera slowly turned back and forth, recording the area. Arsenal, well away from its scope, pulled another arrow from his quiver and shot it just under the camera. He waited a moment as the arrow activated upon impact. ‘That’s one of my best,’ he thought. ‘It’ll keep the cameras on a loop so I can sneak by.’ Now safe to move, he turned a corner and continued running. A few feet and another corner later, he ran into two more guards. He shot two electroshock arrows at them, taking them down with ease. ‘Keep moving,’ he thought as he found the entrance he was looking for and slipped inside. ‘Ok, teen feet, then turn right and put the stairs.’ He stopped outside a metal door and, hoping his intelligence hadn’t been wrong, knocked. 

A second later he knocked it down with an explosive arrowhead, trapping one of the guards underneath. The other guards started shooting, but he ducked under the gun and tried to hit him with his bow, but the guard jumped away. Arsenal punched him out in the next moment. The scientist he was supposed to be saving gave him a strange look. 

“Dr. Roquette,” he said in greeting.

“Please tell me you’re the advance guy,” she replied. 

“The only guy.”

“You couldn’t bring back-up?! What were there budget cuts?”

‘Seriously? She doesn’t even know me.’ Arsenal sighed silently and focused on getting them out. Even as he pulled a more powerful explosive arrowhead a bell had started tolling somewhere. In-between rings the sounds of many footsteps running down could be heard. He shot the arrow at the wall and it blew up. When the smile cleared a hole had been created. “It’s now or never, Doc.”

“We can’t leave this behind.” Dr. Roquette looks down at a cylinder on the floor in front of her. 

“I can’t take both. I take it, or I take you.” 

“Right. Take me.”

Arsenal shot a zip-line down to a tree on an arrow, then wrapped the other end of the line around a pipe sticking out above his head. He gave it a test pull and nodded, then clicked a handle into place. “Hold one.” Dr. Roquette grabbed wrapped her arose around him. Arsenal jumped, sliding down the line as gunfire sounded off behind them. The scientist yelled as they descended quickly. Arsenal let go and they dropped to the ground. He covered the doctor from behind as they ran for the water. Once in the shallows, he started pulling the camouflage tarp off the boat, stuffing it down into the bottom. He helped Dr. Roquette in then started pushing the boat into deeper waters. 

“So, what’d you call this, the arrow boat?” 

‘Only if Dick was here,’ Arsenal thought. “I call it a rental. Get down.” He pushed her down a little as bullets kept firing over their heads. Moving quickly. he pushed a couple of buttons on a detonator, setting off the smoke bombs he’d planted earlier. The bullets stopped and he gunned the throttle. “I think we’re in the clear.”

“Great.” Dr. Roquette sat up and glanced back at the island. “That leaves only one problem.” 

“What?”

“I finished my project.”

“…Oh…” Arsenal’s mind started as he navigated their way to shore. ‘I think I may need some help.’ 

— — 

A mere 9 hours later that same day, Robin, Kaldur, M’gann, and Superboy were spending the summer day at the beach. While they were eating lunch M’gann looked at Robin. “Where is Arsenal?” she asked him. 

Robin swallowed the bite of hot dog in his mouth. “Batman…sent him on a solo mission.” He frowned at the way his stomach twisted at the thought. As it had been every time he thought about his brother’s assignment since he’d found out about it the night before. ‘I’m not jealous. No, I’m definitely not jealous.’ 

“How exciting. Good for him.” Robin nodded, wishing he could sound as genuinely happy for his brother as M’gann did; causing him to simultaneously feel bad for not being as genuinely happy. 

“Even if he wasn’t on the mission, Batman wouldn’t have let him leave the mountain.”

“Batman is very over-protective of Arsenal, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, you can say that.”

“Does it bother you?” Superboy asked. 

“Why would it?”

“Batman isn’t that protective of you.”

Robin scowled. “Let’s just drop it. We have to wait an hour before we can swim let’s….bury Supey in the sand or something.” Everyone nodded and they moved on. ‘I’d never envy the control B has over Roy,’ Robin thought as he helped shovel sand on top of their clone friend. ‘And I’m definitely not jealous B sent him on a solo mission. Not at all. Nope.’ The rest of the afternoon, his feeling of not jealousy faded a little as they swam some more and played volleyball. By late afternoon, he’d all but forgotten about his not-jealousy. In fact, he was so busy not being jealous of his brother that when Black Canary came out to retrieve them, he didn’t even think twice about it. 

“We need you inside,” she told them. 

“Already?” M’gann asked, hitting the ball over the net. 

“Is Arsenal back?” Robin asked, turning his head and causing him to miss the ball. Kaldur shook his head at the teen. 

“No,” Black Canary replied. “It’s something else. Nothing that….important, but you do need to suit up.” 

“Let us go then,” Kaldur nodded. He glanced at Robin as they cleaned up. The younger teen was avoiding looking at anyone, moving quickly to gather his things. He stomped ahead of everyone else, not caring that they gave him strange looks as he left. 

‘Doesn’t even matter,’ he thought as ducked into his room to change into his suit. “Arsenal’s off saving the world alone and I’m here building sand castles,” he muttered as he pulled his tunic over his head. “It’s not at all like I have more experience. It’s fine though. I’m just suiting up to do…nothing. Roy’s on a mission and I’m doing nothing.” He tightened his cape and coughed when it choked him. Muttering Romani swears under this breath, he loosened his cape, and grabbed his gloves; still scowling. “It’s fine. This is fine. I’m fine. I”m happy for Roy.” He finished putting his gloves on and stalked out of the room. “I am.” Batman barely looked at him as he walked into the main part of the cave. The boy wonder crossed his arms, openly annoyed, not that his mentor noticed. The others eventually joined him, more interested in why they'd been summoned. 

“You have a new teammate,” Batman said once Superboy stepped up next to Miss Martian. 

“Who-“ Aqualad stopped suddenly when Artemis stepped out from behind the Bat, previously hidden in his shadow. The Atlantean stepped back half a step, before mentally scolding himself and resuming his previous stance. 

“This is Artemis.”

“Hi,” Artemis said in greeting. 

Miss Martian smiled broadly. “Welcome to the Team, Artemis,” she said, stepping forward and giving the other girl a hug. 

“Oh! Uh….thanks…” Artemis looked around and almost frowned a little bit. ‘Where’s Arsenal? Didn’t Robin say he’d be here?’ Her gaze wandered to the vigilante, but he was busy staring at the zetas. ‘Maybe he’s waiting for Arsenal too.’ 

“Kid Flash, B-02,” the zeta tube announced. 

“The Wall-Man is here!” Wally announced as he stepped out of the bright light, landed down with beach stuff. “Now let’s get this party-“ Robin started chuckling when the speedster fell on his face. “-ted?”

“Wall-Man, huh?” Artemis asked. “I love the uniform. What exactly are your powers?”

Wally noticed her for the first time and his eyes widened for half a second. Then his speedster brain did a super fast evaluation and his metaphorical hackles backed-down; a little bit. He got to his feet and looked at Aqualad and Robin strangely. “Who is this?”

“Artemis. Your new teammate.”

“Kid Flash. Never heard of you.” 

“Artemis is new to the hero business,” Black Canary explained. 

“Oh yeah? Who’s protege is she?”

“She’s not being mentored specifically just…”

“She’s your teammate because we run the team and we said so,” Batman interrupted. He half-glared at the speedster as if inviting the teen to challenge him. 

“No problem here, Bats,” Wally said, putting his hands up in surrender. “I was just asking-“

“Don’t.”

“Arsenal, B-04,” the zeta tube announced. 

Arsenal stepped out into the zeta tube and saw three things. First, he saw a green suit. Second, he saw blonde hair. Third, he saw the bow. His hearted started pounding and his brain blanked; only relating back the same three things he’d just seen. ‘No, no, no, no, why- ’ Then his training kicked in. ‘Ollie wouldn’t be here. That’s irrational.’ Clinging to that thought, Arsenal started pulling in slow, deep breaths and opened his eyes. The same three things were still there, but now he took in other facts. Such as the fact that the person in question was just barely older than Dick. And female. And definitely not Oliver. He exhaled shakily. “What’s going on?” he asked, voice shaking a little, despite his efforts to hide it. 

“We have a new teammate,” Robin said almost happily, trying to put Arsenal at ease. 

“I’m Artemis,” the girl said, stepping towards him. When she did, Arsenal took two steps back. She frowned. 

“You….you’re on the Team?”

“Yeah.” Artemis almost stepped back in confusion. ‘Why is he saying it like that? Does he not want me to be here?’ 

“Arsenal,” Batman said. “Mission report.”

“Yes,” Arsenal, nodded, looking past Artemis to his mentor. “My mission is why I’m here. There’s been a small….hiccup.”

“What was your mission?” Aqualad asked. 

“A robotics genius named Dr. Sterling Roquette.”

Robin looked down at his hologlove as he pulled as much information on the scientists as his fingers could in a few seconds. “Nano-robotics and clay-tropics expert at Royal University in Star City,” he said as the information was brought up on larger holographic screens for the others to see as well. “Vanished two weeks ago.” 

“Abducted two weeks ago. By the League of Shadows.”

“Whoa! You want us to rescue her from the Shadows?”

“Hardcore,” Wally breathed, the two of them bumping fists.

“I already rescued her,” Arsenal explained as he walked forward. Robin scowled a little bit and crossed his arms as something hot burned in his chest. “Only one problem: the shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon.” He activated his own hologlove to display the information for them. “Doc calls it the Fog. Comprised of millions of microscopic robots. Nanotech infiltrators. Capable of disintegrating anything in their path. Concrete, steel, flesh bone.”

“Whoa…” Wally breathed. 

“But it’s true purpose isn’t mere destruction.”

“What is?” Robin asked.

“Theft. It infiltrates and stores raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen intel to the Shadows. Providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science, and tech.”

“Perfect for extrusion, maybe a little bit of power broking,” Artemis said. “Yeah, sounds like the Shadows.”

“Like you know anything about the Shadows,” Wally replied dismissively. Artemis simply smirked at him knowingly. “Who are you?!”

“Roquette’s working on a virus to render the fog inert,” Roy interjected to get them back on track.

“But if the Shadows know she can do that-“

“They’ll target her. Right now she’s off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school’s computer lab.”

Batman frowned at that. “You left her alone?” he asked. 

“She’s safe enough for now.”

“This is why you brought this to the Team?”

“Yes. I can’t do this part alone.”

“We are your friends,” Aqualad assured him. “We will, of course, help you.”

“And…” Arsenal didn’t continue, but he did look at Artemis. 

“She’s a part of the Team now,” Black Canary said patiently, understanding the older archer’s hesitation. “That means it's her mission too.”

Arsenal nodded. “Of course.” 

“We should make a plan,” Aqualad said. 

Artemis crossed her arms. ‘What is his problem with me?’ she wondered. ‘He just met me, not even!’ She caught the look Kid Flash was giving her from the corner of her eye. It made her raise her metaphorical hackles. ‘I don’t care what these guys think anyway.’

— —

A few hours later, the Team was positioned at Happy Harbor High School. Miss Martian and Superboy on the roof outside and the others in the room with Dr. Roquette. 

“Miss Martian, link us up,” Aqualad said in his comm. “We do not want the shadows intercepting our comm.” 

A second later Miss Martian’s voice came through everyone’s heads. ‘Everyone online?’ she asked. 

‘Ugh!’ Artemis sighed mentally, stumbling back to sit on the edge of the table. ‘This is…weird.’

‘And distracting,’ Dr. Roquette added. ‘Coding a distributed algorithm virus on a kiddy computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen think in my skull?!’

‘Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?’ Kid Flash asked as he took a bite of his speedster bar. Aqualad and Arsenal looked at each other and rolled their eyes. 

‘Pot, kettle,’ Artemis said, gesturing the scientist and the speedster respectively. ‘Have you met?’

‘Hey! I do not need attitude from the newbie who looks like a mur-‘

‘Focus on the mission!’ Aqualad interjected. 

‘Yes!’ Dr. Roquette sighed. ‘Fate of the world at stake!’

‘She started it!’ Kid Flash said in defense. 

‘How about I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter?’ Artemis asked, walking out. 

‘Good idea,’ Aqualad agreed. 

‘You might cut her some slack,’ Robin said to Kid Flash once Artemis had left. ‘It was her arrow that saved your butt against Amazo.’

‘What, no!’

‘Wasn’t that my arrow?’ Arsenal asked in confusion. Wasn’t that what his brother had said? 

‘….Ehhh, not so much.’ Robin maintained eye contact with Arsenal for a moment before the archer turned away with his arms crossed. Through the mind link, the others could actually feel the uneasiness and betrayal coming from his mind. Miss Martian frowned as she gently cut off the archer’s emotions from the link. The feeling disappeared and there was a moment of awkward silence before Kid Flash spoke again. 

‘Well…still not giving her the satisfaction,’ he thought.

‘You know, I can still hear you,’ Artemis informed him. Kid Flash groaned and slammed his hands onto his head. 

Dr. Roquette sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘I couldn’t get the Justice League.’ With another exasperated sigh, she started to back to work as Aqualad approached her. 

‘The virus won’t be of much use if we can not find the weapon,’ he reminded her. ‘Can you track it?’

‘My utility fog is not a weapon. It’s science. Brilliant science. And of course I can track it, but I have to go online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address and Assassinate Me written in neon.’

Arsenal walked up to stand beside his friend. ‘We will protect you,’ he promised her, putting his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and almost smiled a bit, before hitting a key on the keyboard. 

‘Tracking the Fog, now.’ Everyone looked around as if expecting the Shadows to come crashing in through the windows in the next second. When they didn’t Arsenal and Aqualad went back to looking at the computer. Dr. Roquette kept typing and they watched as she slowly, piece by piece, tried tracking down their missing weapon. It was quiet for a few minutes as they watched her work.

‘Mmm, that boy,’ Artemis said suddenly.

‘He can hear you,’ Miss Martian said irritably. ‘We can all hear you.’

‘Oh, I know.’ Arsenal shook his head, confused by her tone. Luckily he was saved by the computer beeping. 

‘I’ve found it,’ Dr.Roquette thought triumphantly.

‘Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the fog,’ Aqualad said. ‘Miss Martian, reconfigure the bio-ship so that Robin and Superboy can pursue.’ 

There was a minute of silence, and then, ‘Ready.’ With a nod to everyone in the room, Robin somersaulted backward out the window behind him and Kid Flash shut it as soon as he was gone. Arsenal watched as his brother disappeared into the darkness to leave with Superboy. He sighed and tried to re-focus on the task at hand. This was still technically his mission and he didn’t want to let Batman down. 

‘Kid Flash, can you guard out in the hall?’ Aqualad said. Kid Flash nodded and walked out of the room. Everything was quiet for a few minutes as Superboy and Robin got out of range, then Miss Martian’s voice spoke over the mind link again. ‘You embarrassed Superboy.’

‘I didn’t hear him say that,’ Artemis responded. 

‘Must you challenge everyone?’

‘Where I come from, that’s how you survive.’ Her words made Arsenal shiver and he tightened his grip on his bow. He didn’t want to know. Not with her. Not with her. Everything was quiet for a couple more minutes, then Arsenal saw the door open from the corner of his eye. Two objects sliced through the air and Aqualad jumped in front of him, catching the object as he fell to the ground. 

“Dr, get down!” Arsenal yelled, pulling her to the floor as more shurikens spun towards them. Two landed in his arm and Arsenal wince, but stood in front of Dr. Roquette and pushed her back with one hand. 

“Hmmm, that had to hurt,” the Shadow said as she ran in. She was dressed in green and wearing a weird mask. 

“Atlantean skin is extremely thick,” Aqualad said as his tattoos lit up and he took out his water bearers. He created two swords and stopped The Shadow’s sai.

“Well, my shuriken are extremely poisonous.” Aqualad kicked her and she flipped backward onto one of the tables. Arsenal shot an arrow at her, but she knocked it away with one of her sai. ‘Miss Martian, Artemis, Kid, we are under attack!’

‘I’m on my way!’ Artemis replied. 

The Shadow advanced on Aqualad and Arsenal, the former knocking away her blows, but she was quickly overwhelming him. ‘Trade-off!’ Arenal ordered suddenly. Aqualad took the hint though and they switched places seamlessly. The archer ducked under the Shadow’s sai and swung his bow at her head. She tripped him to the ground though and threw a shrunken at Dr. Roquette. Aqualad tried to stop it with a stream of water from his water bearers. It just barely changed the path of the weapon, which embedded itself in the wall next to Dr. Roquette’s head. She gasped and Arsenal could practically hear the Shadow smirking. 

“So close,” she said. “Poison slowing you down?” Aqualad nodded to Arsenal and the archer rolled out from underneath the Shadow, once against switching places. 

“Jellyfish toxin,” Aqualad said as he stopped her say with his water bearers, holding them in place. I’m largely immune.” 

The Shadow suddenly head-butted him and he fell on the floor, unconscious. “Largely.” She turned to Arsenal, who raised his bow, two arrows already nocked. She raised her sai, but an arrow from behind knocked it out of her hand. She turned around and saw Artemis standing in the doorway, another arrow already nocked and drawn. 

“Don’t move,” the younger archer said. Her voice was confident, but it was a false confidence Arsenal recognized easily. It was the same one he used to use with the criminals as Speedy; when he was trying to convince them he would kill them. 

“This gig just got interesting,” the Shadow said. She took out a sword, which unfolded and she held it up. Artemis hot tow more arrows, as did Arsenal, but she knocked all four out of the air with quick motions. Kid Flash and Miss Martina came into the room. The Shadow stopped when she saw them. “Too interesting.” She pulled some small pellets out and threw them just saw Kid Flash ran at her. He dove for her, but she was gone and he ended up falling into Artemis instead. They both made gagging noises and pushed each other away. 

“Gone!” the speedster sighed. 

“She’s getting away!” Dr. Roquette yelled at them. “You’re letting her get away!”

“This is your fault!” Kid Flash turned on Artemis. “You were on the perimeter! How did that Shadow get in?!” Artemis didn’t reply, but Miss Martian stepped in to help her. 

“That’s…not fair,” she said. “I was outside too.”

“Outside…being distracted by her! Besides, I can’t stay mad at you.” He switched to the mind link. ‘You gave me mouth-to-mouth.’

‘We heard that!’ Everyone chorused mentally. 

‘Damn it!’ He walked away and Miss Martian approached Artemis. 

“I didn’t do half as well in my first battle,” she assured their new teammate. “And you can’t have been a hero for very long-“

“Focus,” Aqualad told them sternly. “The Shadows will be back.”

“Robin to Aqualad,” Robin said suddenly over their comms. “We’re in Philadelphia. Their next target is Star Labs- Oh no. We’re too late. It’s destroyed. Totally destroyed. The Fog decimated it.”

“This is bad,” Arsenal said, using his comm so Robin and Superboy could be included. “Star Labs is cutting-edge science and now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy.”

“What’s our next move?”

“We scan for that Fog. Find it.”

“We’re moving the doctor,” Aqualad added. 

Arsenal nodded. “We need to find another secure location. Or at least hidden. I’ll get on it.” This mission wasn’t dead yet. He hadn’t let Batman down yet. An idea popped into his head and he spun around. “I have an idea.”

— — 

Arsenal paced back and forth silently, practically gliding from footstep to footstep. He kept an arrow nocked to his bow and paced back and forth. His eyes flicked back and forth, looking for any signs of anyone coming in. A sudden sense of hostility came to him over the mind link.

‘Stop that,’ Aqualad said sternly. 

‘What?!’ Artemis and Kid Flash both demanded. 

‘I can hear you glaring.’ The feeling went away and Arsenal shrugged. He looked at Dr. Roquette. “How’s it coming Doc?”

“It’s still coming…” Dr. Roquette muttered, never taking her eyes off the screen. 

Arsenal nodded and drifted closer to the windows, peeking outside for a moment, before resuming his walk around the building. Every entrance and exit was secure. No one could get in or out. Once that was done, he returned to pacing behind Dr. Roquette until there was a tap on the back door. They both jumped and Arsenal walked towards slowly. He waited and then he heard it. A series of taps. He nodded and unlocked it to allow Aqualad in. “How's it going?” he whispered as he re-locked the door after his friend came in. 

“All according to the plan,” Aqualad replied. He went over to the front door and peeked out to make sure everyone was ok. 

“I’m going to go back and make sure you weren’t followed.”

“Very good.”

Arsenal slipped out and backtracked the way Aqualad had come. He took to the rooftops, his inner bat calling him to get a vantage point. It didn’t take long before he started to hear voices. 

“I was hoping it’d be you,” someone said in a teasing voice. 

“The Shadow,” Arsenal whispered when he saw her. “Does-does Artemis know the Shadow?” He shook his head and shot one of his newer trick arrows. It hit the building next to the Shadow and dispersed knock-out gas. The Shadow dropped to the ground and Artemis crept closer to her. Arsenal started to join her until the shadow, unfortunately, jumped up again and took Artemis down. 

“Make has built-in filters,” she said, a smile evident in her voice as Artemis hit the rooftop. Artemis attacked, but the Shadow twisted her arm behind her back. “Better luck next time kid.” She hit the younger archer and let her fall to the ground. The Shadow took off and Arsenal watched her go for a second. 

‘Aqualad!’ He was about to turn away when he remembered his newest teammate. All his muscles sat coiled for a moment before he sighed and turned to Artemis. Jumping out of the shadows, he landed mislay beside her. “A-Artemis,” he said quietly, shaking her shoulder. “Artemis? Artemis re you-“ He jumped back as she jerked to the side and swung a fist at him. She was crouching a couple of feet away from him, but relaxed when she realized who it was. “….Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” Artemis said shortly. “I’m fine.” 

“Well….good.” Arsenal nodded, then remembered the direction the Shadow had been heading. ‘Oh no!’ He spun around and took off after her. ‘Please don’t be there yet, please don’t be-‘ His thoughts were interrupted by his comm beeping. 

“Arsenal!” Robin yelled worriedly. “The Fog is infiltrating Wayne Tech.”

“Well stop it!”

“How?!”

“Think of something!” He didn’t get a response, so he figured his brother had everything under control. Not bothering to lower himself to the ground, he made it to the next rooftop. He lowered himself down into the cafe and found the Shadow threatening Dr. Roquette with her sai. It distracted him from seeing that Aqualad was unconscious. Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot the weapon out of her hand. The Shadow turned around slowly and cocked her head at him. She chuckled a little bit. 

“My how the tables have turned, huh Arsenal?” she asked as he walked toward him, pulling another sai out. 

“What’re you talking about?” he asked, pulling out an electroshock arrow. He shot it at her, but she avoided it with surprising ease. 

“You don’t remember me? I’m hurt.” She attacked him before he could shot off another arrow. He ducked under her sing and punched her on the stomach, but she recovered quickly. One of her hits landed on his face, but he blocked the next one and swung his bow at her. Again, she dodged with surprising ease and jumped up, landing a lucky kick on his neck. Arena stumbled and she knocked his feet out from under him. When he landed, Arsenal kicked his feet out, causing her to keep back to avoid them. Before he could pull himself up though she was on top of him. A few quick punches to his head and he was dazed. He could hear her smiling as she leaned over him and pushed her sai against the underside of his chin. “After all, my sister is such a big fan.” The Shadow chuckled again and pulled her sai back, but the computer beeped. She got up and walked towards Dr. Roquette, glancing at the computer screens as she did. “So, you finished the virus,” she said as she advanced on the scientists. “Eliminating the need for your elimination, though not the entertainment value.” 

Arsenal pushed himself up onto one elbow as the Shadow pointed her sai at Dr. Roquette. ‘No!’

The Shadow pushed Dr. Roquette to the ground. “Lucky for you, my orders are clear. You live to program another day. fate all Dr., The Shadows may find another use for you.”

Taking a deep breath, Arsenal pushed himself up. ‘I have to-‘ Pain stabbed through his chest and winced, but pushed it aside with ease. His comm beeped in his ear. 

“The infiltrators have been outfiltrated!” Robin cheered in his ear. 

Arsenal smiled a lilt bit. “Good job, little brother.” He fell back again, still in pain, as the Shadow walked right past him. ‘This is still my mission,’ he thought as he pushed himself up. ‘I’m not letting her get away.’ Wanting nothing more than prove himself and please Batman, the archer forced himself to his feet and staggered to the door. Unfortunately, he ended up having to lean against it. Luckily, the Shadow was doubled-over and didn’t see him, so he was able to slip out and into the deep shadows outside the cafe. He was about to step out when he noticed Artemis, who hadn’t seen him. 

“Don’t move a muscle,” Artemis said. 

There was a moment of silence before the Shadow’s voice said, “Wow. I am completely at our mercy.”

“You.” The word was so quiet, had he not been standing there in the shadows, Arsenal would’ve missed it. 

‘Does-does she know the Shadow?’ Arsenal wondered. He glanced at the woman, who was watching Artemis with a smile. 

“I suppose this is the part where you bring me to justice,” she said casually. “Let your new friends interrogate me. I wonder if your position’s secure enough to survive them learning everything I know.” 

Arsenal had to restrain himself from gasping a little. ‘Wha- What is she talking about?’ Whatever it was, it was enough to make Artemis lower her bow and ease back on the string. The Shadow smiled. 

“Didn’t think so.” She started walking backward, away from Artemis as a smoke screen appeared behind her. “So like the Cheshire cat, I’ll just disappear.” Disappear she did, not a second later. Artemis put her arrow back in her quiver and Arsenal stepped out into the light. The younger archer jumped, clearly unaware of his presence. 

“Arsenal?!” she hissed, body coiled tensions and voice thick with fear. “You- How long were you standing there?” 

Before Arsenal could answer, Dr. Roquette came out, supporting Aqualad as she did. “Artemis, Arsenal,” he breathed. “Where is the assassin?” Artemis glanced at Arsenal, who saw her fear and immediately stepped forward. 

“She got away,” he said simply. 

“Whoa,” Kid Flash said, speeding to a stop between the two archers. “From her? Big surprise, Notice, we got ours.” He looked at Artemis in a way that was clearly going to make the younger archer punch him as Miss Martina flowed down with the Shadow’s helpers.

“From both of us, Kid.”

Kid Flash seemed to roll his eyes a little bit, then noticed something on the ground. “Cool.” He picked up the Shadow’s fallen mask. “Souvenir.”

“Her mask,” Aqualad grunted as he pulled the poisoned darts from his body. “Did you see her-“ He winced. “Her face?”

“It was dark,” Artemis replied. 

Aqualad looked at Arsenal. “Did you see anything that could help us identify her?” 

Arsenal didn’t have to look at Artemis to know she was looking at him with that fear again. “No,” he said simply. “As Artemis said, it was dark.” Not technically a lie. ‘I didn’t really see her face. A little too busy looking at Artemis and wondering what the hell is going on.’ 

To Artemis on the other hand, Arsenal’s “small lie” caused her to suddenly real a little bit. ‘Does he….not hate me…maybe?’ she wondered as the older archer stood with his arms crossed, almost defensively. 

“It is fine,” Aqualad said. “Robin and Superboy neutralized the Fog and Dr. Roquette is safe. Thanks in no small part to you, Artemis.” Artemis looked at him, almost in surprise. “Welcome to the Team.” He walked forward and shook head, formally welcoming her. 

“I always wanted a sister,” Miss Martian said as she floats down next to them. “Here on Earth, I mean. I have 12 on Mars and believe me, it is not the same thing.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Artemis replied. “But thanks.”

Miss Martian elbowed Kid Flash. “Ow,” he mumbled. “Yeah, welcome.” Artemis stuck out her hand and he shook it. She looked over at Arsenal, but he was talking to Dr. Roquette. 

“You kept your promise,” the scientists said. 

“I did,” Arsenal nodded. “You’re still alive.”

“I am. I suppose I should thank you for that.”

“You don’t have to really. Saving people that’s…that’s all I really want to do.”

Dr. Roquette smiled a little bit. “I like your trick arrows. Do you make those yourself?”

“Yeah. Batman’s helped me with a couple of them, but…I do all the designing and most of the building by myself.”

“They’re impressive. You’re quite the hero, Arsenal. For the only guy.” 

Arsenal smiled a little awkwardly. “Um…thanks.” He looked back and saw Artemis watching him, then looked away. Aqualad walked over and put his hand out, hesitating over Arsenal's arm as he gave him a questioning look. Arsenal nodded and the Atlantean put his hand on his arm. 

“You did good tonight, my friend,” he said. “You remission was a success.”

“Yeah….I guess it was. Let’s get back, huh. I’m sure Batman wants a debrief.”

— — 

When they got back to Mount Justice, they discovered Batman was back in Gotham. “Guess that means we need to head home,” Robin said to Arsenal. 

“Guess so.” He spotted Artemis hanging back and swallowed. “I’ll meet you by the zeta.”

“Ok.” Once Robin and everyone else had left Arsenal turned around to face the younger archer. 

“Thanks,” Artemis said finally. “For…earlier…”

“Mhm,” Arenal muttered, hand tightening around his bow. ‘This is the same girl who just helped us on the mission.’ That didn’t stop a voice in his brain from noticing her blonde hair and green suit. The arrows with green fletchings in her quiver. And the fact she was obviously lying about who she was, probably hiding who she really was. The fact that she clearly wanted the Team to think she was someone she wasn’t. Artemis heisted, concerned about the older archer’s silence and how his whole body seemed to be getting tenser and tenser. 

“Arsenal?” She walked forward and reached out. “Are you-“ He flinched away from her touch and suddenly seemed to grow defensive. 

“Don’t!” Arsenal voice was starting shake now. “I don’t know who you are, but I’m not falling for anything. Not this time!”

“…What?”

“You’re lying. You’re hiding something.” This time it was Artemis who flinched back. 

“You helped me!“

“That doesn’t mean I trust you, because I don’t! You helped us tonight, but I won’t fall for any tricks again! You’d better not hurt my friends or my brother. I won’t stand for that again. Never again!”

“Ok, ok, I get it.” 

“….Good.” Artemis watched him go with confusion. 

‘He’s nothing like I pictured,’ she thought. She chuckled bitterly. ‘Guess there right. You should never meet your heroes.’

Arsenal met Robin by the zetas as promised. “Ready?” Robin asked. 

“Yeah. Let’s go.” The whole way home, Arsenal was nervous about what he was going to say to Batman. The mission hadn’t gone at all how he thought. It didn’t get any better when they arrived at the Bat Cave and Bruce was waiting for them. He was sitting at the computer run his suit, but with the cowl off. Robin glanced at Arsenal, then slipped away to change. 

“Well?” Bruce asked calmly. Roy took his mask off and took a deep breath before launching into his debrief. Once he finished, Bruce stared at him for a moment. “Roy, you look nervous.”

“Um….yeah…”

“Why? Your mission was a success from what I’ve heard.”

“But- the Shadow got away and I couldn’t complete it alone.”

“Roy, the point of the mission isn’t to catch the Shadow, it’s to save Dr. Roquette. Is she alive?”

“Yes.”

“Did you stop the Fog?”

“Yes.”

“Then it was a success. No mission will be perfect and things will go wrong. You completed your primary objective and a secondary one.”

“But…it was a solo mission. I couldn’t do it alone.”

“The mission had an unforeseen complication and you adjusted. Going to the Team was the right move, and one you made on your own. You knew your limitations. You did fine, Roy.”

“Um….ok. Thanks…” Tension left his shoulders as they sagged a little. ‘Not this time. He won't get rid of me yet.’

“You still a report mission to write, but why don’t you go rest for now?”

“Ok. Thanks, Bruce.” Roy quickly changed and put his weapons away. Dick was waiting for him as soon as stepped out of the grandfather clock. 

“How’d it go?” he asked. practically jumping out of his seat. 

“It was…fine.”

“Good. I think Alf has cookies. Come on.”

“Right. Cookies.”

“Is something bothering you?” Dick asked as they walked. 

“….Artemis.”

“What about her?”

“She…she looks like him. And she’s lying, Dick. She’s lying and keeping things about her from us and-“

“Roy, breathe! I know Artemis and Oliver have…some similarities-“

“Some? Dick, she could practically be his niece!”

“But she’s not! Trust me, I was there when Batman recruited her, she has no connection to him.”

“You knew?”

“In my defense, Bruce didn’t want you to get distracted from your mission. I would’ve told you if I thought you were in danger, I swear.”

“Oh really? What about with Amazo? When you lied about my arrow saving Wally and kept the fact that you thought Ollie was there from me?!”

“Uh…yeah…. I just didn’t want to freak you out if it turned out not to be him. Which I was right about.” He saw the look on Roy’s face and sighed, stopping him in his tracks. “Look, I’m sorry. I promise, when we’re in the field I won’t lie or keep things from you ever again.”

“Swear?”

“Cross my heart.” He made an ‘X’ over his heart and it made Roy smile. “Now let’s go have some cookies.” 

“I did just complete my first solo mission.”

“Yeah.” Dick shoved down the burning jealous in chest and stomach. “Let's go celebrate.”


	13. Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny story, I accidentally posted this chapter on Wednesday, instead of chapter 12 and had to go fix it. So here's chapter 13 in the correct order. This is the last chapter that has stuff from the Young Justice tie-in comics, so it's just the show from here on out. Happy New Year and enjoy!

Arsenal pulled an electroshock arrow from his quiver and shot it at the masked soldier running right for him. He shot another arrow off, which landed in the middle of a group of them. The glue arrow exploded on the ground and stopped them in a large puddle of glue. He followed Robin, the two of them several feet behind Batman as they ran towards the rocket. ‘I still can’t believe Bruce let me come’ Arsenal thought as he shot an arrow down the barrel of a weapon. ‘Maybe it because I did well on my mission and with the Team.’

“I need to get to that rocket!” Batman shouted to them. 

“Roger that!” Arsenal yelled back, shooting a flash grenade arrow at another group of minions. 

“We’ll…run…interference!” Robin shouted, kicking one guy in the face and flipping over the minions in front of him. “Happy hunting!’” 

Arsenal rolled his eyes and punched one of the guys in the face, trying to ration his arrows. A well-placed kick to one goon’s head, a swipe of his bow that took out three more, and two electroshock arrows fired at the same time took out the last two. “Get all yours?” 

“Of course. Come on, B needs help.” Arsenal followed him to a truck. Robin’s voice came over the comms as the younger vigilante wiggled his way under the truck. “Hand on, Batman. I got you.” Arsenal stood on guard, two arrows nocked on the bowstring as he waited for Robin to do whatever he was doing. A few seconds later the teen wiggled his way back out and slipped around to the front of the truck. following a gut instinct, Arsenal stepped away from the side of the truck. HIs gut instinct turned out to be a good idea because not even two seconds later Robin shouted, “Now, Batman!” The truck shot forward, dragging a large bald man behind it. Arsenal shook his head and smirked a little as Robin jump out of the driver’s side door. “I love my job,” Robin smiled, crossing his arms in satisfaction. 

“I couldn’t tell.” He turned his head towards the rocket and lifted his bow to a shooting position. “Incoming!” Robin turned and threw two bat-a-rangs at the minions running toward them. Arsenal shot his arrows and followed them with an electroshock arrow. He swung his bow at their heads and chests, taking them out with well-delivered blows. He looked up at the rocket and frowned. “Who’s that?!” There was a woman standing up there with Batman, pointing a gun at him. 

“Uh-oh…that’s not good.” Robin jumped up and kicked two men in the face at once. He landed on the ground and fell into a somersault, going between another man’s knees. The minion clearly had no clue what to do, giving Robin the perfect opportunity to kick him in the butt, sending him flailing to the ground. Robin looked up again, then put his hand on his comm. “Robin to Bat Cave. Are you seeing this?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Alfred said in their ears as Arsenal shot a trip wire arrow that took out another guy by his ankles. He smacked another one, then took down the rest of them with a glue arrow. “Master Bruce, you had better not be smiling.”

‘Why would he be smiling!?’ Arsenal wondered as he followed Robin toward the rocket platform. ‘Were fighting bad guys!’ 

“We have to get up there!” Robin shouted. Arsenal took a grapple-arrow out of his quiver and shot it up at the rocket. It latched onto a beam of the platform and Robin wrapped his arms around the older teen’s shoulders. They were jerked off the ground. “That’s Talia Al Ghul.”

“So that means-“

“Ra’s. Yeah.”

“I still wonder how he figured out my identity.” After meeting the Demon’s Head the previous year, it had been revealed he knew Arsenal’s identity. Which was a little jarring for Arsenal. 

“You’re better off not asking.” When they got close Robin held on to the underside of the beam and nodded his head to the other end of the platform above their heads. Arsenal nodded and held onto the beam with one hand, stowed his bow on his back, and started crawling on the underside of the beam. As he did, he could hear Ra’s pitching…some out-of-his-mind scheme. 

“This remote will launch the rocket now,” Ra’s was saying. Under his words were a disembodied laugh. “You see Detective, I’ve failed in the past by underestimating you. Not this time…” The chuckling laugh got louder and Arsenal waited for a moment, ready to swing himself onto the platform. 

“This time,” Batman said simply. “I’m not the one you underestimated.” Taking that as his cue Arsenal pulled himself up, flipping onto the platform. Ra’s Al Ghul’s back was to him, the man’s attention instead focused on Robin, who was crouching on the edge of the open nosecone of the rocket. In his hand was a giant gem of some kind. 

“Gotch yer nose…cone lens,” Robin smiled, waving it around. 

“No…” Ra’s moaned.

“Why do the bad guys always so ‘no’? They see me standing here with the thing and they still say no.” Arsenal shook his head. “You’re in denial, Ra’s. Thought of trying re-nial?” Robin casually tossed the gem off the top of the rocket. 

“No!” Before any of them could do anything Ra’s threw himself off the top of the platform, falling after his gem. Arsenal gasped and Robin reached out after the man. 

“What! I didn’t mean for…” Arsenal winced and looked away when the man hit the ground. He put his hand on Robin’s shoulder. 

“She’ll hate me for that,” Batman said. 

“You? But I’m the one that…”

“This is hardly your fault, Master Dick,” Alfred said over their comms. “And in any case, Miss Al Ghul’s father’s deaths trend to the temporary.”

“…..Temporary?” Arsenal asked.

“None of which will matter to Talia,” Batman said like Alfred hadn’t just suggested a man’s death was temporary. Arsenal wasn’t sure if he should be more concerned about the apparently temporary death or Batman being concerned that Talia Al Ghul was mad at him. 

“Which bothers you because…” Alfred asked. 

‘Exactly!’ Arsenal thought. Batman didn’t answer, which wasn’t really reassuring and just confused the archer more. They watched Talia and the bald man leave with Ra’s body. 

“Master Bruce, I have an emergency alert from Red Tornado….A member of the family has passed.”

“We’re on our way back.” They descended to the ground. The trio had only been walking for a few minutes when Robin glanced at Arsenal. His eyes happened to land on his brother’s hand and his eyes widened. 

“You’re bleeding!” he gasped. 

“Huh?” Arsenal looked at his left hand and blinked. “Guess so.”

“It’s bleeding a lot.” Robin took a small roll of bandages from his belt. “How did you not notice?”

Arsenal shrugged. “I just didn’t. It must’ve happened when I was climbing on the underside of the beam.” Robin started wrapping his hand with a bandage, keeping pace with them by walking backward. “I must’ve been too busy to notice; again.”

“Again?”

“Remember Cadmus?” Robin nodded. “When we got back I found out that I’d cut my hand. The wire got through my glove and sliced my palm, but I didn’t feel it.”

“And the beams did the same thing.” Robin cut the bandage with the edge of the bat-a-rang and tied it off. “There you go. Should hold until we get back and A can check you.”

“I don’t think I need-“

“Arsenal,” Batman said without looking back. 

“Right.”

Despite his not acknowledging them, Batman had been listening to the entire conversation. ‘How many injuries could he be hiding?’ They reached the Bat-plane and embarked for the ride home. Everyone was silent the whole ride home, Robin thinking about how he almost killed Ra’s Al Ghul and Arsenal still wondered how Ra’s death could possibly be temporary. He zoned out for most of the ride and was actually surprised when they touched down in the Bat Cave. 

“Good to see you, sirs,” Alfred said in greeting. 

“Arsenal needs first aid,” Batman said in greeting, then took his cowl off. 

“I’m coming,” Roy said, pulling his mask off with his non-bandaged hand. “It’s not that bad though, just a scratch.”

“That remains to be seen,” Alfred said, putting a gentle hand on the back of Roy’s shoulder to lead him into the infirmary. Without needing prompting, Roy hopped up on the examination table, then Alfred gently unwrapped his injured hand. “This is no little cut.” The cut was wide from what he could see under the dried blood and still bleeding a little bit. 

“…..How did I not feel that?” 

Alfred paused, a piece of gauze hovering just above the cut to clean it. “What did you say, sir?”

Roy frowned. “I-I said I didn’t feel it.” Alfred didn’t say anything or move for a few seconds. 

“Master Roy, I’m going to clean your wound. If it hurts I want you to tell me.” 

“Ok.” Roy sat still while Alfred started cleaning the dried blood. There was no pain as the butler scrubbed at his skin to get the dried blood off. After a few minutes, Alfred suddenly stopped and set the gauze aside. “Alfred? Is everything ok?”

“Everything is fine, Master Roy. Wait here just a moment.” 

“O-Ok.” Roy waited, heart started to pick-up a little bit. ‘Why did he leave? Where’s he going?’ He looked down at the cut, then pulled off his other glove with his teeth. He set it aside and gently probed the cut with his finger. “It doesn’t even hurt.” Alfred returned with Bruce right behind him. 

“Is there a problem?” Bruce asked. 

“Just watch, sir. Master Roy,” Alfred said, grabbing the gauze again. “please tell me if I hurt you.”

“Of course,” Roy nodded. As Alfred started cleaning his hand again he saw Dick hanging around the doorway. His younger brother gave him a quizzical look, but Roy shrugged a little bit. After a moment he felt someone else looking at him and looked up. Bruce and Alfred were both watching him intently. “What’s going on?” He looked down at his hand and realized Alfred had stopped cleaning it. “What’s wrong?”

“Roy, did you feel him stop?” Bruce asked. 

“No.” 

Bruce reached out and put his fingertips on the scarred palm of Roy’s hand. “Can you feel that?”

Roy frowned. “No.”

“What’s wrong?” Dick asked, suddenly appearing at Roy’s elbow. “Is he ok?”

“Alfred, get him stitched up,” Bruce said. “I’m going to call Leslie. See if she can come to look at him tomorrow.” 

“What’s wrong with you?” Dick asked again, this time more urgently. “Are you ok?”

“I”m fine, Dick,” Roy replied calmly. “It’s nothing.” 

“There is nothing problematic to his health, Master Dick,” Alfred assured the younger boy. “Simply something strange is all.”

Dick gave his older brother a worried look, but Roy tried to give him a reassuring smile. Alfred finished tending to Roy’s hand. “Everything’s ok, I promise.”

“Better be…” Once Roy’s hand was taken care of he changed out of his suit and found Dick waiting for him by the stairs. The younger teen stayed abnormally close as they went upstairs into the Manor. 

“Dick, I told you, it’s fine.”

“If it’s fine then why is Bruce calling Leslie?” 

“I’m just…having trouble feeling things with my left hand, that’s all.”

Dick scoffed. “That’s not nothing.”

“It’ll be fine.” Roy put his arm around him. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Leslie will tell us that everything is fine.”

— — 

The next day, Leslie arrived at the Manor just after lunch. They all followed her down to the Bat Cave and she gestured for Roy to sit on the examination table. Very gently, she took Roy’s left hand and examined it. “Have you had any pain or mobility issues with this hand?” she asked, slowly turning it over. 

“No,” Roy said, shaking his head. “It’s been fine.”

“Hm.” She gently picked up a needle. “I want you to close your eyes and hold out your hands with your palms down.” Roy did so. He’d long ago accepted that what Leslie did was solely for his health and well-being. She never wanted to hurt him or cause him undue pain. “I’m going to prick you with the needle. I want you to say left if you feel it on your left hand and right if you feel it on your right hand. Ok?”

“Ok.” Roy sat still and after a moment felt a small prick on the back of his left hand his fingers jumped involuntarily. “Left.” Another prick. “Right. Right. Left.” 

“Good.” Leslie turned his hands over. “Same thing now.” 

“Right. Right.” A short pause in the pricks. “Right.” 

“You can open your eyes.”

Roy did so and Bruce gave Leslie a curious look. “Well?” he asked. 

“I can’t be certain, but I do have a theory. The burn on Roy’s left hand was a second degree and it damaged the skin in two dermis layers. In those two layers of skin are nerves and nerve endings.”

‘What do they do?” Roy asked. 

“Those are the nerves in your skin that register temperature, pain, and light touches. I think that when your hand was burned, it also killed the nerve endings in your left palm. So you can’t feel pain, light touches, or temperature with it.”

“Permanent nerve damage….”

“You’re certain?” Bruce asked. 

“Yes,” Leslie replied. 

“There’s no way to fix this or reverse it?”

“I’m afraid not. Thankfully, this just means you need to be a little bit more careful, Roy. If you set your hand down on something hot you won’t notice for a few seconds, but that’s long enough to hurt yourself. Same goes for sharp things. You also won’t feel textures, so just be more aware of where you’re putting your hand.”

“I won’t feel….?” Roy asked, vaguely unsure of how he felt. In the back of his mind, he’d known that there was something wrong with his hand, but he’d assumed it just had something to do with the scarred skin. The idea that it was something else though…permanent damage to his nerves…that made something cold settle in his stomach. 

“Try to focus on the positive. You can still move it and function, but there are just some sensations you won’t be able to feel anymore with it.”

“Still…” 

“I wish I had better news for you, Roy.”

“It’s ok… It’s not your fault.”

“Thank you for coming down, Leslie,” Bruce said, shaking her hand. 

“Any time, Bruce.”

“I’ll accompany you out, Dr. Thompkins,” Alfred said. Leslie smiled and nodded then followed him. Bruce watched them leave before turning to Roy, who was still sitting on the examination table, staring at his palm. 

“Everything ok?” Bruce asked, then immediately felt like an idiot. ‘He just found out he has irreparable nerve damage, of course, he’s not ok.’ Roy simply shrugged in response. 

“I don’t…I don’t know…” He closed his hand and hopped off the table. “Can I…um…Can I go to the Cave?”

“Go ahead.”

“…Thanks.” Roy left the infirmary quickly, barely even looking at Dick as he left and just barely remembering to grab his sunglasses and gloves.

— — 

When he got to Mount Justice, Arsenal had barely materialized and made into the main cavern when Kaldur came around the corner. “Arsenal,” he said in surprise. “I was not expecting you-“ He stopped when he saw Arsenal rubbing his gloved hands together. “Is everything ok?”

“Um…not-not really…” 

For a moment Kaldur considered asking what had his friend so upset, but then he decided against it. “Would you like to play a game?”

“A game?”

“Yes, M’gann went shopping with her uncle and gifted me with cards.”

“You want to play a card game?”

“I do not know how to play any, but I would like it if you could teach me.”

Roy nodded. “Yeah…Let’s go play.” He followed Kaldur to the Atlantean’s room. It was…plainer than Roy had pictured. A small pool that looked like it can hold Kaldur if he was laying down and a desk. A near empty shelf held a few lone books, but nothing else. “You don’t…uh…have much.”

“I do not need much.” Kaldur grabbed his cards off his desk and sat on the floor. Arsenal joined him and took his glasses off. 

‘Kaldur is my friend,’ he thought as he shuffled the cards. ‘He knows my identity already. It’s ok.’ He looked at his friend. “What game do you want to play?”

“I already said I do not know any.”

‘Right, right. We’ll start off easy: Go Fish.”

“I like the sound of that one.” 

Roy smiled a little bit. “Ok.” He started shuffling the cards. “So, I get six cards and you get six cards. The goal is to pair them up. If you want a pair, you can ask me for your card, if I don’t have it I say Go Fish and you draw from the pile.” He quickly doled out six cards for each of them. “We keep playing unit the cards are all matched and then the player with the most matches wins. Understand?”

“I think so.” Kaldur watched up two of his cards and Roy handed him two more. “You can go first.”

“Do you have a three of clubs?”

“I have a three.” Kaldur held out a card but Roy shook his head. 

“No, Kal, that’s a different type- You know what let’s just do numbers.” He accepted the card. “Your turn.”

“Do you have a Q?”

“It’s called a queen, and no. Go Fish.” Kaldur pulled a card from the draw pile and looked visibly disappointed. “So how was the mission? Did we miss much?”

“In a way, definitely.” They continued to play as Kaldur explained the mission they’d been on. Roy was quiet as he listened, enjoying the simplicity of the game and the sound of Kaldur’s voice. Once the story was finished they lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few minutes until the game ended. 

“Ok, now cont your pairs.” Roy quickly counted his own. ’13. Wait…’ He looked at Kaldur. “Well?”

“13.” Roy’s mouth quivered. “What?”

“It’s a tie.”

“Then we should play again.” Kaldur gathered up his cards into a pile and passed them to Roy. The latter started shuffling them again. After a moment he stopped, took his gloves off, then started shuffling again. 

“I have nerve damage,” Roy said suddenly, eyes still focused on the cards. 

“From what?” Roy didn’t answer right away, but Kaldur waited patiently. 

“From Oliver burning my hand.” Moving extremely slowly he held up his left hand to show Kaldur the uneven, scared flesh on his palm. His friend’s face creased in sympathy. “He burned it because I was hungry and I wanted to eat. And now I have nerve damage.”

“This nerve damage, how does it affect you?”

“It means I can’t feel pain or temperature or light touches with my left palm.” Roy stopped and held one of the playing cards, letting it lay flat on his hand. “I can see that this is on my hand, but I can’t feel it. At all.” He went back to shuffling, now noticing how he needed to used a bit more force to feel the edges of the cards. 

“This upsets you.”

“Yeah. I mean…I know it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least I can still use my hand, but…its just hard. It’s been three, almost four years since I left Star. It’s been years but he’s still…” Roy swallowed. “Oliver is still ruining my life even if he’s nowhere near me. It didn’t take me a long time to accept that I could never get rid of the scars, but this…this just feels different. It’s like I’ll never be able to get rid of him. The rest of my life I’ll just keep finding out there are more and more things he can take from me even if I’m not near him. I’m never going to be free of him!”

Saddened at how frantic and upset Roy’s tone was becoming, Kaldur gently reached out and settled his hands on Roy’s. His friend stopped and Kaldur gently took the cards from him. “Can I touch your hand?” he asked quietly. Roy simply nodded. Kaldur took the teen’s left hand and gently ran his fingertips along the scarred flesh. It was thick and calloused, reminding him more of leather than skin. “You can’t feel that?” Roy shook his head. “But you can feel this?” He ran his fingertips along Roy’s knuckles and Roy nodded. “And this?” Kaldur entertained their fingers and squeezed gently. Another nod. “This?” He moved his hand so it was cupping the side of Roy’s, half touching the back and half touching the palm, and squeezed gently. Roy nodded again. Kaldur intertwined their fingers again and this time Roy reciprocated. Kaldur’s thumb traced a circle around one of his knuckles. “You can feel this?” Roy nodded, feeling his heart beat faster. Kaldur’s skin was soft, which didn’t make a lot of sense because he lived in salt-water. Sensical or not, Roy liked how soft and cool Kaldur’s hands were. He liked it a lot. “So that’s…one thing you can’t feel, and many more you can. Yes?”

“Yeah…”

“I know you cannot have back what Oliver has taken, but there many things he did not take. These things are still there and they are still good.” 

Roy smiled, feeling his stomach flip-flop a little. “Yeah.”

“You are free of him, Roy. As long as I am here, I will never let you be anything less. I promise.” Roy looked at Kaldur and, surprisingly, wasn’t taken aback by his sincerity. Instead, the sincerity made him feel more secure. This was Kaldur, who asked before touching him and was never upset or angry with him. The same Kaldur who rubbed his arm to calm him down and was constantly checking make sure he was ok. The Kaldur who was always happy to see him. Knowing that Kaldur would be there for him made Roy feel safe. 

“Ok.”

“Good.” Kladur smiled and pulled his hand away, causing both of them to feel a small sting of disappointment. “Now, let us play the game again. I am confident I can win this time now that I have a better understanding of the rules.”

“Hate to break it you Kal, but this is hardly a game of skill.” Roy started dealing the cards. “But you can try.”

“I intend to.”

— — 

When Roy returned to the Bat Cave later that afternoon, he was in a much better mood than when he’d left. Dick met him as soon as he got there, looking concerned. “Hey,” he said as Roy took off his sunglasses and gloves. “Are you ok? You looked upset earlier.”

“I was but, it’s fine now.”

“You sure?” 

“Yeah, Kaldur helped me out.” He put his hand on Dick’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

“Ok.” Dick felt that twinge of jealousy in his chest again. ‘Since when does he go to Kaldur for help? I’m the one who always helps him.’ Unfortunately, this feeling didn't go away when Bruce came downstairs and gestured to Roy. Dick followed, curious as to what he could want with the teen. 

“I have a case for you, Roy,” Bruce said, handing the teen a slim file. 

“A case for me?” Roy asked as he opened it. “To solve? Alone?”

“Yes. If you think you can handle it?”

Roy looked it over. It looked like a small time gun-trafficking case; someone selling handguns who wasn’t supposed to be. “Yeah, I can handle this.”

“Good. You can start your investigation tonight while Robin and I are on patrol.”

“I won’t let you down.” 

Without being noticed, Dick slipped away to go upstairs. His stomach was rolling and burning, and his chest was tight. Every muscle in his body was aching and screaming to move. Not even needing to think about it, he headed for the Manor gym. Maybe if he did enough flips he could get rid of this feeling he had inside. Unfortunately, part of him wasn’t convinced that would work, but he figured he had to try.


	14. Solo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2019! I'm sure you're all just as excited as I am for season 3! Here's another chapter to hold you over until it premieres. Enjoy!

“I have something for you,” Robin said. He put a small device with a screen and a tiny keyboard in front of Arsenal as the older teen was getting his mask on. “It’s an IM device so you can talk to Kaldur. I gave him one too and tried to explain how to use it, but I think its a tossup whether or not he’ll understand.”

“Cool,” Roy said as he picked up the small device and looked it over. “Thanks.”

“Do you need help gathering intel for your case?” Before the archer could answer, Batman, interrupted. 

“Let’s go, Robin,” he said standing by the Bat-mobile. “Arsenal is handling the case alone.” Robin huffed a little and trudged to the Bat-mobile. 

‘What’s his problem?’ Arsenal wondered as he headed for his bike. ‘He’s been acting weird all afternoon. Oh well. He probably just needs some time out on the streets.’ He left the Bat Cave and headed for the neighborhood he needed. His plan was simple, follow the suspected arms dealer around to gather information. It wouldn’t be the most exciting part of the case, but he knew it was essential. ‘I have to make sure I do well on this case. Especially with my birthday getting closer. I have to do well.’ Once he was in the neighborhood he was looking for he got to work. First, he planted a GPS tracker on the man’s car, then took to the rooftop and settled down to stake out the man’s building across the street. Luckily it turned out to be a short one, as 30 minutes later the man in question, Todd Jameson left the building and got in his car. Arsenal followed on his bike, snaking in and out of the shadows and staying several blocks away; using the GPS to follow Jameson’s movements. They traveled south for a few minutes before he stopped in front of another building. 

Arsenal stopped in an alley across the street. He turns his bike off and set his feet on the ground. Jameson went into the building and the vigilante frowned. ‘What is he doing here?’ He disembarked from his bike and darted across the otherwise deserted street. Once at the building he looked around, then started climbing. The building was old, made of thick bricks that occasionally jutted out in an ugly, but good for spying purpose. ‘Just don’t fall. Don’t fall.’ Most of the apartments had the blinds drawn, but on the third floor, there was an unblocked window. The archer scurried over and peeked inside, muscles taut and ready to drop down to the floor below if necessary. The room inside was bare, bar a few trucks. Jameson was crouched in front of one with a woman next to him. Arsenal narrowed his eyes. The woman moved to the side to grab something and he saw what Jameson was holding. A handgun. ‘Bingo. He’s making a sale tonight.’ 

Moving with speed and agility, Arsenal worked his way back down, dropping the last 10 feet and using a somersault to break his fall as Robin had taught him. He ran to Jameson’s car, then looked around again. The street was still deserted. He glanced back at the building, but all windows were dark or covered and no one was at the door. Heart pound a little, he made quick work of the lock on the car door without setting off the alarm. Taking care not to disturb anything, he carefully planted a bug where it wouldn’t be found; under the seat. Nodding in satisfaction he relocked the door and shut it, wincing a little at how loud the sound was in the otherwise silent street. He then ran back to the alley, just barely slipping into the shadow of the alley before the door of the building opened. Jameson exited the building carrying a bag, closely followed by the woman. They embraced for a minute, then he got in the car and drove away. Arsenal waited until the woman went back into the building, waited a few more minutes, then followed. 

Jameson drove through the city without any regard for throwing off any tails. ‘Although,’ Arsenal thought as he turned a sharp corner, ‘He has no reason to suspect he’s being followed. And I’m probably doing my job better if he doesn’t know I’m following.’ After 20 minutes, the blip on the GPS stopped, so Arsenal stopped not that far away. He hid his bike in an alley and crept forward, stopping behind a bus stop. He peeked out from behind his hiding spot to see Jameson waiting outside a 24-hour convenience store. ‘Why is he just standing out in the open? Amateur.’ Arsenal stayed crouched down behind the bus stop for a long time. Finally, another car pulled up. Jameson approached it and appeared to converse with the driver. Arsenal pulled his night vision binoculars out and focused them on the men. He caught a glimpse of the bag before it disappeared between the feet of the man in the passenger seat, and a wad of cash being passed to Jameson before the car quickly peeled out of the parking lot. 

‘Well he’s definitely the dealer,’ Arsenal thought, creeping back towards his bike. ‘I have to figure out where he’s getting the guns though before I turn him in. I’ll have to keep track of who has those guns. The police may want to know who’s been buying the illegal weapons.’ He nodded to himself. ‘A lot to do for my first solo case. I can do it though, I can do this. I have to.’

— — 

When they got back that night, Robin hung around his elbow as he typed away at a protected laptop. He’d chosen to use the work table he was usually using to build and maintenance his trick arrows. The small bird craned his neck to see what Roy was working on. 

“Do you need help?” he asked. 

“Nope.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m just setting up my transcriptions. I’ve planted bugs in his car, so if he’s planning to sell again I’ll know, and I’ll have him on a recording.”

“Good job…” Dick pushed his disappointment aside as Alfred walked over to them. 

“Master Dick, you need to get ready for bed,” Alfred said.

“What about Roy?”

“Master Roy will be 18 in three weeks, he can stay up a couple hours longer.” Dick spend his mouth to argue, but one looked from Alfred stopped that. Sighing slowly, he turned away and stomped upstairs. 

Roy ignored him and kept working, Once he was finished he went up to bed and didn’t see much of Dick. ‘He’s probably in bed like Alfred told him to be,’ he thought as he pulled out the small gadget Dick had given him and turned it on. 

R: Still up?

He waited a moment, then, smiled when he got a reply. 

K: Yes. Am I doing this correctly?

R: Yes, u r fine

K: Good. How are you?

R: I have a solo case

K: That is good. I am sure you will solve it. 

R: Thanks. It’s really important I get it right.

K: You will. I am confident that you will be very successful.

R: thanks :)

K: You are very smart and a good detective. 

R: You great too, pal

K: pal?

R: too much?

K: very much, too much

R: noted 

K: It is too bad we cannot play games like this

R: Sure we can. I’m thinking of a number…

K: 0

R: No

K: 1

R: No

K: 2

R: You’re going to be guessing for a while 

K: I am ok with that :) 

The smiley-face gave Roy a strange, warm and fluttery feeling in his chest. It was very strange, but also kind of nice. ‘Friendship,’ Roy decided as Kaldur kept guessing one number at a time. ‘Gotta be friendship.’

— — 

The next day Roy was down in the Bat Cave most of the day, listening to the bug he’d planted. Jameson, he decided, lead a very boring life. Other than the illegal arms dealing of course. He drove to see his girlfriend, whose name was Lucy, then got a bagel, then just drove around Gotham looking for people to sell guns too. 

‘He’s not the brightest,’ Roy thought as Alfred placed a sandwich next to him. 

“How is it going, sir?” Alfred asked. 

“He’s not winning any criminal contests lately.”

“They can’t all be masterminds.”

‘I prefer it this way,’ Roy thought. ‘I have to get this case right, I have to. Everything…. If I don’t I could lose everything.’ He shook his head. Better to focus on what was going on right now. He nodded to himself and went back to his work. 

Eventually, Dick came downstairs to change into his Robin suit but didn’t say a word to Roy. It made the teen frown, but Bruce’s hand settled on his shoulder before he could say anything though. “How’s it coming?” he asked. 

“I have multiple buyers and I know where he’s keeping the guns,” Roy replied. “I just don’t know where he’s getting them from.”

“Hopefully you’ll figure it out tonight, so tomorrow you can take him down. Hmm?”

“Y-Yeah, I’ll try.” 

“Good.” Bruce squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll see you later tonight.” 

“Ok.” He watched them head towards the Bat Plane, Dick not even saying a word of farewell. 

‘Weird…’ Roy turned back to his bug and focused on following Jameson’s movements. The man bought another bagel and there was the sound of the car stopping. 

“Hey,” he said to someone Roy assumed was outside the window. “You look like a less socially responsible man. You need a gun?” Roy rolled his eyes like he presumed the man outside the car was also doing as Jameson yelled after him in confusion. ‘How the hell haven’t the police caught him yet?’ It remained a puzzle as he repeated his several times, only to be interrupted by a call from Lucy. “Hey, babe. Yeah, I’m scoping out new buyers. No, I’m not doing what I was doing last time. What am I an idiot? No, don’t answer that. I told you, I’m getting more customers. Ok, ok, bye.”

Roy groaned and slid down in his seat just as Alfred walked over. The butler smiled down at him. “Having trouble, sir?” he asked. 

“This case is…frustrating.”

“I’m sure some food will help you solve it. No case can be solved on an empty stomach.” He gently guided Roy to stand up and the teenager followed him upstairs. “A change of scenery will surely help as well.”

“I just don’t get it, Alfred. I’ve seen Jameson selling the guns. He’s my guy, but he’s an idiot! The operation is simple, but it still seems a little advanced for him.” He sat down at the dining room table and started picking at his chicken. “He’s a total amateur, there’s no way he knows where they’re coming from.” Alfred didn’t say anything but did stay with earshot. It was endearing to watch Roy reason through his case. “He has to have a partner. Someone else who’s the real mastermind behind all this.” He took another couple bites of his dinner. “Someone-“ he froze, the answer dawning on him. 

“Sir?”

“Someone with access to the guns. That’s why the guns are at the girlfriend’s apartment. She’s the mastermind behind this whole thing!”

“His girlfriend, sir?”

“I have to go research her-“ Roy started pushing his chair back, but Alfred stopped him. 

“You will do no such thing until you’ve eaten.”

“But-“

“No buts. Eat your dinner, then you can go back to your case.” 

“Yes, Alfred.” Roy ate a little faster, but not too fast as to cause himself to choke; or cause Alfred to give him a look for forgetting his manners. Within 10 minutes he’d finished his dinner and he put his plate in the sink, then dashed back downstairs. Since Bruce wasn’t back yet, he sat down at the Bat-computer and got to work. ‘Where’s Dick when you need him?’ he wondered vaguely, struggling to hack into the records of the building where the girlfriend lived. It took him 15 minutes, but he did manage it. Once in, he found there were two women named Lucy living in the building. ‘This one is 95 so….I don’t think it’s her.’ He clicked on the other one. “Lucy Benvolio. Let’s see if you could be the mastermind of this whole thing.” Researching her started off a little more difficult than he was anticipating. She had no credit cards, bank accounts, and appeared to not be employed anywhere legitimate. “Hm….” Roy sat back in his seat and something beeped in his pocket. He pulled the little IM device from his pocket and felt is tension lift a little. 

K: You did not come tonight.

R: No, B said I had to stay home. I can only leave for missions with u guys 

K: Oh. What are you doing?

R: Working on my case. It’s frustrating.

K: Why?

R: I think the girlfriend is supplying the guns b/c the boyfriend has one brain cell that will die alone. I haven’t found anything tho. She has no records.

K: Hm… Have you considered looking into her family?

Roy blinked, then frowned. 

R: No I didn’t consider it.

K: You would have eventually. I have to go.

R: talk later?

K: yes. Later.

Roy smiled as he put the device back in his pocket. “Maybe I should expand my search a little bit.” Doing so, it took only two minutes before he found the answer he was looking for. “Her dad owns a gun store. ….And she’s stealing from him.” The gun shop in question had reported multiple missing firearms to the police, but all of the investigations had gone cold. “She has to be the mastermind here. It all fits. She has the access and Jameson barely has two brain cells to rub together.” Unfortunately, there was nothing more he could really do. He needed to gain some kind of proof Lucy was stealing the guns before he could close the case and hand it over to the police. ‘I could just get her on possession of stolen firearms but…she’s stealing from her own father. So I’ll find the evidence I need to get her on robbery as well.’ He double-checked the evidence, but he’d done everything he could while behind confined to the cave. 

Sighing, Roy moved to his workstation to do maintenance on his trick arrows. He worked quietly and efficiently, keeping his hands steady as he made sure everything was in working order. Consequently, he didn’t really keep track of time and was surprised when Robin rode in on his R-cycle. “Where’s Batman?” Roy asked as the younger teen took his helpmeet off and walked toward him. 

“He and Black Canary are talking to Artemis about something.”

“You don’t know what about?”

“No. He sent me home before I could try to eavesdrop.” He eyed the case file next to Roy’s workstation. “How’s your case?”

“It’s good. A night or two of surveillance and I should have all the evidence I need to hand it over to the police. I hit a wall with my investigating, but Kaldur helped me out of it.”

“Oh…good job.”

“Thanks. You want to play a video game?”

“….Actually, I think I’m going to go to bed. I’m kind of tired.”

“Ok. Night.”

“Night.” Dick walked away, frowning at the twisting feeling in his gut. ‘He’s doing a good job on his first solo case, I should be happy for him.’ He should’ve been, but it just made him feel small and like he needed to go work on his fighting until he was ready to drop from exhaustion. Instead, though, he changed and slumped upstairs, hoping the new apathy toward his brother would go away. 

— — 

The following day Roy found Dick in the gym, beating on a punching bag. “What did the bag do?” he joked. Dick didn’t reply, which made him frown. “Hey. Dick!”

“What?!” Dick snapped, jerking his head toward Roy, eyes narrowed in anger. 

Roy flinched a little bit and one of his feet inched back slightly, but he fought the urge to leave. “What’s wrong?”

“….Nothing. Everything’s fine.”

“It doesn’t look fine.”

“Well, it is!”

“Ok. Do you want to spar, or-“

“Not right now, Roy. Maybe later. Why don’t you go work on your case or something?” The confusion and hurt look on Roy’s face made Dick feel slightly guilty, but his older brother left the room before he could say anything. The younger teen groaned and threw himself down on the mat. “Ugh!” He balls this hands into fists and slammed them off the mats while staring up at the ceiling. “What’s the matter with me?! I should be happy that Roy has a friend and that he has a case on his own. I should be happy for him.”

‘Why?’ a voice in his head asked. ‘Why should you? You’ve been doing this longer than him and he’s just disregarding you completely. You’re not good enough to lead the Team, you’re not even good enough to help your own brother. That’s what he can see.’ Dick’s eyes hardened and he pushed himself up, then in almost the same motion, started pounding on the punching bag again. 

Meanwhile, Roy wandered around the Manor before wandering outside. He sat under a tree in the backyard idly playing with blades of grass. ‘What did I do? Why is Dick being so distant and so angry with me?’ he wondered. ‘Is- Is Dick getting sick of me being here?’ The thought made his stomach shrivel up and sent waves of tension through his every muscle. ‘I-I don’t know what I did to make him think that. Maybe…maybe it’s because I’m not really part of the family here. I’m not Bruce’s son, not like Dick. I’m more like a stray dog Bruce gelt really sorry for and Dick got attached to.’ He flinched. ‘A dog that’s no longer wanted.’ He pulled his legs up to his chest and squeezed his legs. ‘I figured Bruce would want me gone soon because I’m turning 18, but I thought that maybe Dick at least wanted me here…’ A cold feeling settled over his bones and he stayed outside, curled up under the tree until Alfred came out to get him for lunch. 

“Is everything ok, Master Roy?” Alfred asked upon seeing the teen curled up. It alarmed him since it was something that Roy’ hadn’t done in at least a year. 

“Y-yeah, Alfred,” Roy replied shakily. “I’m fine.”

Alfred didn’t believe that but decided not to push it for now. “If you’re sure, then lunch is ready, sir.”

“Ok. Thanks, Alfred.” Roy got up and walked quickly toward the manor, wanting nothing more to eat his lunch, then go to his room. It didn’t make him feel any better when Dick barely even looked at him during the meal. After a too long and awkwardly silent lunch, Roy retreated to his bedroom and tried to read. By the time Bruce was home and it was time for dinner, he felt a little better. The awkward silence still persisted, but he had managed to convince himself that maybe, just maybe, Dick did want him there and he was just being paranoid. After dinner, they went downstairs and he started getting changed to go out and hopefully finish his investigation. 

“I’ve looked at your case file,” Bruce said as Roy loaded arrows into his quiver. “It looks like you have a solid case. If you can find evidence to prove Lucy was the one stealing the guns, it should be good to hand over to the police.” 

“I wish I had a bug on her. I might be able to catch her in the middle of a robbery.”

“Hmm. Are you going to the gun shop?”

“Yeah. I’m hoping there’ll be something there that can prove Lucy is the robber.”

Bruce nodded. “Keep in radio contact with Robin and myself the entire time and call for help if you get overwhelmed. Understand?”

“Yes, Bruce.”

“Ok.” 

Once his quiver was loaded and he’d strung his bow, Arsenal got on his bike and left the Bat Cave. For the first time, he was able to put Robin’s distance and possible dislike of him aside. He had a case to solve and he was going to solve it. Nothing mattered more than that at this moment. Arriving at the gun shop, he hid his bike by the dumpster, then used the trash bin to reach one of the windows. He lowered himself in feet first, perching on the edge of the window, hands pressed against the ceiling to keep himself in place. He tapped his mask, activating the night-vision. ‘Where…Ah ha!’ There was a security camera in the far corner. He dropped to the ground, then darted between the locked display cases. Reaching the far wall, he scaled the side of the shelf, then detached a small cord from his holo-glove and plugged it into the camera. Staying up with his feet each resting on the edge of a shelf that formed a V in the corner. Using his free hand, Arsenal quickly skimmed through the footage, looking for any signs of Lucy. 

She appeared in a frame only a few days before. Arsenal played that footage and watched as the owner of the shop, Lucy’s father, showed a handgun to a customer. The customer declined, but before he could lock the display case again Lucy said something that distracted her father. With his back turned, Jameson then grabbed the gun and hid it in a backpack he was wearing. ‘So she has him doing all the dirty work,’ Arsenal thought as he watched Jameson then relock the cabinet and hand the keys to the father as Lucy led him away, still talking to him about something. Going through the footage, Arsenal found at least five more instances that looked like this, with a distraction from Lucy to allow Jameson to steal the weapons in question. Figuring the police would enjoy this, Arsenal carefully removed the memory chip from the camera and put it in a small evidence bag, then stored it in one of his pouches. 

Arsenal hopped down then wove his way back to the window. He climbed back out and made sure he redid the lock before getting back on his bike. ‘Time to get the police involved.’ Just a quick swing by the apartments to make sure his culprits were still in their abodes. Upon stopping an alley across the street from Jameson’s apartment though, he frowned when he saw the man in question was leaving. Lucy was on his arm, smiling, but something about her was off. Arsenal’s eyes narrowed. The smile was too wide and her movements seemed a little stiff; like she was purposefully forcing herself to walk. She said something to Jameson and he nodded before running back into the building. While he was gone, Arsenal watched as Lucy pulled a gun out of her handbag and loaded it. ‘Oh no…’ By the time Jameson came back, the guns as hidden again and the two of them got back into the car. Arsenal followed them, heart starting to pour a little bit. 

‘She’s going to kill him!’ he thought as he followed the car south through the dark streets. ‘She’s going to kill him, I have to stop her!’ Despite having been in trickier situations than this, it was making his muscles tense up and his brain start to panic. The archer swallowed, trying to block out the feeling of failure. The sting of Bruce calling him worthless because he couldn’t handle a simple gun trafficking case and throwing him out the moment he turned 18. Arsenal shook his head. ‘No, no, I have to fix this. I have to save Jameson and turn them over to the police. I have to.’ Feeling like he was trying to tame an out of control horse, he forced his mind to formulate a plan. He pushed a button on his bike, which locked the handlebars so he was free to use his hands. Said hands were steady despite his barely restrained panic as he grabbed two glue arrows. He shot the arrows over the car, causing the glue to cover the road in front of them. The car came to a sudden stop upon driving into the quick-drying glue. 

Arsenal took control of his bike again and stopped a few feet from the car. Just as he was getting off it the back windshield shattered and he dove off his bike, somersaulting into a kneeling position. An arrow practically appeared on his bow strong and it was drawn back to his ear. Two more bullets shot out of the car and he fired. The flash grenade arrow went off int he back seat, momentarily stunning the two people inside. He ran to the car and jerked the driver’s side door open. He saw a flash of the gun barrel pointed at Jameson and jerked the man to the ground just as Lucy fired. 

“What the-“ Jameson began, but quickly shut up when the bullet grazed his arm. 

“Shh!” Arsenal shushed him. “I’m saving your life.” He waited a moment, then crawled on his belly, motioning for Jameson to stay down where he was. Moving deftly on the tips of his toes, Arsenal made his way around the side of the car. He made it to the passenger side and, figuring Lucy’s attention was still on the other side, he somersaults backward. When he stopped he was in a kneeling position, an arrow drawn and pointed at the window. ‘One arrow to take out the window, one arrow to stop her.’ He took a deep breath, then released the arrow. The window shattered two seconds later, then his fingers jumped from his bowstring to the quiver, then back to the string. The next arrow was a knockout gas arrow. It hit its target, the steering wheel, and filled the interior of the car with the gas within seconds. ‘There’s a lot of ventilation,’ he thought as he stood up. Lucy dropped backward on to the passenger seat, having been kneeling on the driver’s seat. He nodded to himself. ‘Works fine though.’ He gently pulled Lucy from the car and brought her around to the other side.

“Did-did you kill her?” Jameson asked when he saw the limp woman in the archer’s arms. 

“No. She’s just unconscious.” Arsenal set her down propped up against the car, then restrained her hands with zip-ties. 

“She tried to kill me…” 

“Mhm.” Arsenal started restraining Jameson as well, who as too preoccupied with looking at his betrayer he wasn’t paying attention to the vigilante. 

“You should’ve killed her.”

“No. I shouldn’t have.” Arsenal looked at the wound on Jameson’s arm, then took a piece of gauze and medical tape from one of his utility pouches. 

“But she-“

“It doesn’t matter what she did. I don’t kill people, buddy.” He pushed the gauze down on the wound and taped it in place. “Besides, even if she did try to kill you, you shouldn’t want her dead because of it. That kind of anger isn’t healthy.”

“Oh yeah? If someone you trusted tried to kill you, are you saying you wouldn’t want ’em dead?” 

Arsenal stood up quickly and put his evidence bag with the camera footage on the trunk of the car. “The cops will be here soon.” He turned away, but Jameson called after him.

“You didn’t answer me!” The vigilante just kept walking. Arsenal anonymously tipped-off the police, then hung around in the shadows to make sure the two criminals were taken care of. It felt as if someone had sucked all the tension from his muscles. All he had to do now was write up a quick case report and he would be done. He’d successfully completed a case alone. Just as he was heading out to find Batman and Robin, his comm beeped. 

“Arsenal,” Batman said. “report.”

“I handed the case to the police,” Arsenal replied. “They should have enough evidence to convict the dealers.”

“Good. Head back to the cave. We’ll join you shortly.”

“Yes, Batman.” Arsenal almost smiled as he headed home. ‘I managed to solve my first solo case.’ 

— — 

By the time Batman and Robin arrived at the Bat Cave, Arsenal was halfway done with his report. “How was patrol?” he asked Robin. 

“….Fine,” Robin replied evasively. “So…you finished your case?”

“Yeah. It’s all taken care of.”

“Oh….well…good…” 

Roy frowned. ‘He sounds a little disappointed.’ But that didn’t make any sense. The archer suddenly remembered his earlier thoughts about Dick not wanting him around anymore and the crushing feeling returned. He turned away quickly so he could finish his report. 

“You did well for your first time,” Bruce said to Roy, still in his Bat suit, sans cowl. 

“….Thanks.” Roy relaxed under the man’s hand on his shoulder. ‘Hopefully, that means I can show him I’m useful enough that he won’t kick me out.’ 

Bruce, meanwhile, mistook his ward’s silence and relaxing as exhaustion. “Why don’t you finish your report tomorrow and go to bed? You’re probably tired after tonight.”

“Ok.” Roy changed out of his suit, moving slowly and lingering around so he wouldn’t run into Dick. Once he was pretty certain he wouldn’t see the younger teen, he went upstairs. Once he was in his bedroom he laid down on his bed, hugging a pillow. ‘Why is Dick so upset with me? What did I do?’ His IM device bed at him, causing him to roll over in an instant. 

K: Are you awake?

R: Yeah. I finished my case

K: Good! I knew you could do it!

R: why are you so much more excited on IM? :p

K: I apologize

R: Don’t worry Kal, I’m just messing with you

K: :p

R: Hahaha

K: Next time you come over we shall celebrate

R: celebrate?

K: you solved your first case we must. It is mandatory

R: well if its mandatory….

K: it is decided then. Tomorrow?

R: Sure. Tomorrow.

K: excellent. Do you want to play the number game?

R: do you want to guess again? :)

K: very much 

R: …..ok, I have a number. 

K: 0

R: No

K: 1

Roy smiled as he snuggled down into his pillows. ‘Even if Dick doesn’t want me here anymore…at least Kaldur still wants me around.’ Which made Roy feel a little better about the whole situation.


	15. Downtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I lied a little bit. This chapter has some stuff from the tie-in comics, but I'm mostly sure this is the last one. Enjoy!

Roy was up at 7 am, despite it still being summer. However, since he was finished with school, he was pretty sure he was now permanently on summer vacation. He promptly got dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, then headed downstairs to the gym. After a surprisingly vigorous run, he showered and joined Bruce and Dick for breakfast. 

“You’re surprisingly awake this morning,” Roy remarked to Dick. 

“Hm…Someone thought it would be a good idea for me to come to Wayne Enterprises today,” Dick replied, eyeing Bruce. 

“I believe it was actually Alfred’s idea,” Bruce said without looking up from his paper. 

“Do you not want to go?” Roy asked in confusion. As much as it made him a little sick to remember when he’d first started living with Oliver he’d wanted to see the man’s company. Unfortunately, the answer had always been no due to Oliver’s insistence that Roy couldn’t leave the mansion. Dick simply shrugged in response.

“I want to go, I just don’t want to get up early.” 

Roy rolled his eyes. “Ironic for the kid who always enjoyed waking me up at the crack of dawn for two years.” Dick simply hummed in response. The conversation lapsed into silence so awkward, even Bruce looked up from his paper. Dick was eating, although he seemed a little tense, and Roy was picking at his food, looking more than a little tense. He frowned but didn’t say anything. 

‘Maybe they’re just having a fight about something,’ he reasoned as he ate. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Roy and Dick had disagreements as any other brothers would, and they always found a way to reconcile. ‘They’re old enough now I shouldn’t need to intervene. They should be able to handle this between the two of them.’ Dick finished his breakfast not long after that and quickly left the dining room to put his plate in the sink. “We’ll…uh…we’ll back later today, Roy.”

“Ok.”

“Don’t forget to practice your Spanish today.”

“I won’t.” Bruce got up as well, leaving Roy alone at the table. The teen sighed and cleared his throat awkwardly. “I-I’m not really hungry, Alfred,” he said to the butler who’d snuck up behind him. 

“Are you sure, Master Roy?”

“Yeah.”

“Well if you’re hungry later, I sliced up a watermelon. The slices are in the fridge and can be snacked on at your leisure.”

“Ok, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Alf.” He got up and put his plate in the sink, then wandered upstairs to his room. ‘Guess I’ll just practice my Spanish…’ That thought wasn’t exactly exciting, but his only other option was to sit there and ponder why Dick hated him. The next hour passed slowly, with the Spanish book Bruce had given him open in his lap. ‘I wonder if he could find any books about Navajo. I would really like to expand on what I already know. I don’t know if you can find books on that though.’ He shook his head. “I don’t know….Maybe I shouldn’t. I should just…keep my head down and do whatever Bruce wants me to do.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes before going back to his book. “Even if that is learning stupid Spanish.” 

It wasn’t long before Alfred knocked on his door. “Master Roy,” he said as he opened it. 

“Yeah, Alfred?”

“I just got a call from Master Bruce, you need to change and head to Wayne Enterprises.”

“Why?” Roy set his book aside and practically jumped to his feet. “What happened? Is Dick ok?!”

“As far as I know, Master Dick is still in one piece. However, I would suggest you go downstairs and change right away.”

“Yeah. Right.” Roy dashed past him and ran down to the Bat Cave. ‘What could have possibly gone wrong in the past hour for them to possibly need Arsenal?’ He forced himself to breathe as he got changed and double-checked the arrows in his quiver. As soon as the comm was in his ear he tried to get a hold of his mentor. “Batman?” 

“Arsenal,” Batman said. “Come straight to Wayne Enterprises.”

“What’s going on?” Arsenal asked as he got on his bike. 

“There was a strange container that had a…creature in it.”

“A creature?”

“It was made of mud or clay,” Robin added. “It totally kicked our butts though, so he won’t be easy to beat.”

“He escaped into the sewer,” Batman continued. “We’re going to go down there to look for it.”

’Sewer diving? Fantastic.’ Well, …it was this or Spanish. “I’m on my way.” By the time he stopped behind the building, Batman and Robin were waiting for him, crouched beside an open manhole. 

“We’re going down there to look,” Batman said to him. “If you find the creature, do not engage him alone. Call for backup. Understood?”

“Understood.”

“Good.” He reached for Arsenal’s holo-glove and brought up a map of Gotham’s were system for him. “There are three tunnels, so we’ll each take one. You take the east tunnel, I’ll take the west, Robin take the south.” Robin simply nodded and jumped down into the sewer. Arsenal sighed a little bit and followed suit, landing in the ankle deep water. He made a face, then moved up onto the small walkway. He looked at his map before heading off down the tunnel. It was dark and he had to keep his eyes locked straight head to try and prevent his brain from realizing where he was. ‘Stay focused on finding the clay/mud monster. Stay focused on the mission.’ He took a flashlight from one of his pouches and shone it around. ‘How do I know what’s sewer mud and what’s monster mud?’ His footsteps echoed in the empty tunnel, causing him to quiet them so they couldn’t give him away. 

After a couple of hours, Batman’s voice came through, “Arsenal, report.”

“Nothing so far.”

“Robin?”

“No sign of him.”

“Is there a chance he left the sewer?” Arsenal asked. 

“Unlikely,” Batman said. “Agent A is monitoring the city right now.”

“Oh.” He let his hand fall and kept going. A shiver ran down his spine. ‘Stay focused. Stay focused on the mission.’ The search continued like this for a long time. Every couple of hours Batman checked in with them, but no one found any signs of the clay monster. 

“Head back,” Batman told them after 12 hours had passed. “I’m calling in the Team so you can continue the search and I can look for a way to stop the creature.”

“Got it,” Robin replied. 

“On it,” Arsenal said. He made his way to the rendezvous point. When he got there, Robin was waiting, leaning against the wall. Arsenal hovered near him, unsure of what to do or say. His younger brother didn’t even look at him or acknowledge his presence. The archer swallowed and crossed his arms to try and settle the uneasy feeling in his stomach and tightening in his chest. Eventually, after a much too long award silence, someone dropped down into the sewer. The two teens slipped into defensive positions, only slipping out when they recognized their teammates. 

“We should link up,” Robin advised them. “That’ll make it easier to sneak up on the monster.”

“Dude, you reek,” Kid Flash said. 

“We’ve been in this sewer for almost 12 hours!” 

“Ok, ok. Sheesh.”

“Hey Aqualad,” Arsenal greeted quietly. 

“…..Greetings,” Aqualad said, glancing around. He looked away and Arsenal frowned. 

‘He never acts like that…’ 

“Arsenal,” Miss Martian said. “I am connecting the mind link now. Do not be alarmed.”

“Ok.” Arsenal felt the presence of Miss Maritan in his mind. He took a deep breath.

‘Are you ok?’

‘Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.’

‘You’re getting better at this,’ Kid Flash though. 

‘Guess you just…get used to it.’ 

‘Can we focus on the mission?’ Robin asked. Kid Flash gave him a strange look. 

‘Of course,’ Miss Martian nodded. ‘All set Superboy?’

‘Yes,’ he grunted. 

‘Aqualad?’ No response. ‘Aqualad? Can you hear us?’

‘….uh, yes Miss Martian,’ Aqualad replied. ‘Your psychic link functions perfectly.’

‘That’s a relief. We couldn’t hear you…..Like your every thought was a million miles away.’

‘Let us start our search.’ They walked down the walkway in a straight line. For a few hours, everything was quiet. There were no signs of the monster. Arsenal could feel fatigue pulling at his muscles from being up on his feet for so long. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms. Around 4 am, the sound of water splashing water caught his attention. ‘What-‘ Next thing he knew Arsenal was pinned against a wall with a giant hand of mud holding him there. One of his arms was pinned to his body, his bow hand, but the other was free for him to move. Unfortunately, he also couldn’t reach his quiver. The creature had the rest of the Team as well. 

Aqualad took out his water bearer and made a sword with it, then cut himself free. As he fell, Robin managed to get a bat-a-rang out of his utility belt and threw it at the arm holding him. When Aqualad landed on the water he saw Arsenal was trapped and immediately went for him next. He ducked under another mud hand that reached for him while Miss Martian used her powers to open up the one holding her. Kid Flash used his speed to free himself just as Aqualad jumped up and sliced through the wrist of the hand holding Arsenal. The archer dropped to the ground and his friend steadied him. ‘Are you ok?’ Aqualad asked mentally, his worry so palpable that several members of the Team, Arsenal included, could feel it. 

‘I’m fine,’ Arsenal replied, rubbing his shoulder. The creature melted into the water and out of sight. 

“That was unpleasant,” Miss Martian remarked from where she was floating above their heads. “Like tangling with a rabid Ma’alefa’ak on Mars.”

“Unpleasant sure,” Kid Flash agreed, watching the spot where the monster had disappeared suspiciously. “But also kind of easy. That thing was kind of a pushover. What the heck was Batman worried about?” 

“What’s a malakfak?” Superboy asked. Before Miss Martian could answer the water exploded behind them and they were thrown forward. Arsenal was grateful it was only a foot or so deep. He rolled over onto his back in time to see Aqualad’s tattoos lighting up with lightning. Unfortunately, the monster knocked him off his feet before he could succeed. He landed on Arsenal, who momentarily panicked as his head fell below the water. Luckily, his friend rolled off him and he could sit up. The monster walked away, laughing at them. 

‘Well he doesn’t need to rub it in,’ Arsenal thought dully, searching the water for his bow. 

“Batman to Team. Report status. Have you encountered the creature?” Batman asked. 

“Yes, Batman,” Aqualad replied. “but the encounter was far from successful.”

“Tell me everything that occurred. I want details.”

“Hey,” Kid Flash hissed. “If that’s Batman, ask him where Artemis is. And how come she gets away with skipping this so-fun sewer party?”

“You don’t know where Artemis is?” Arsenal asked him.

“No. Black Canary claimed she needed her for something in Seattle, but we were kicked out of the room after that.”

“Weird.”

“Tell me about it.”

“We should head up to the street and re-group in the bioship,” Aqualad said, once he’d relayed the information to Batman.

“Fine by me,” Arsenal agreed. They found their way to the closet manhole cover, which Superboy moved out of the way so they could climb out. The bioship met them on the street and they all embarked so it could float back into the air. Arsenal sighed as he set his bow down in his seat and Robin throw him a cloth. 

“Arsenal, Robin,” Miss Martian said. “We have clean costumes for the two of you.”

“Sweet.” Robin disappeared out back to change, Arsenal right behind him. He left his quiver with his bow, glad to be changing out of the soaked muddy costume he had on. It was so great, he even felt more awake once he was in clean clothes. 

“Man, I need a shower,” Kid Flash moaned. “I mean, what’s the point in putting on a clean costume if I’m not….fresh?” 

“Personally, I’m just happy to be dry,” Arsenal said as he put his quiver back on. 

“Besides, Wally, you’re always fresh,” Miss Martian smiled. 

“And at least you have a clean costume,” Superboy muttered. 

“Yeah, an old back-up,” Kid Flash complained. “No stealth mode! It stinks!”

“Actually, I think the stink is you, Freshness,” Robin smirked. “But what about the creature?”

“Yeah, Batman wanted us to track it,” Arsenal agreed. 

“Why settle for that?” Kid Flash asked. “Okay, sure it got the drop on us. But now we know all its tricks!”

“Yeah!” Robin agreed. “We split up! The whoever finds old “Clayface” radios the Team…”

“We converge and kick some clay-butt!” Superboy agreed. 

“Uh…I don’t think that’s a great idea, he seemed really-” Arsenal began, but stopped when Robin gave him a look. 

“Of course you don’t think it’s a good idea. But some of us want to get home before we pass out.” Arsenal flinched a little bit and Kid Flash gave Robin a look.

“Wha do you think, Aqualad?” Miss Martian asked, taking the attention off Arsenal. 

Aqualad, who’d been zone out since sitting down, jumped a little bit and nodded. “What? Oh, yes.” 

‘Does he know what he just agreed to?’ Arsenal wondered as everyone else headed for the exit and the bioship lowered to the ground. Wanting to help his friend out, he clears this throat. “Um…why don’t we head north together?”

“…Yes… Let us do that.” They disembarked and split up. They walked through the early morning streets of Gotham, looking for any signs of….Clayface. Arsenal glanced over at Aqualad and discovered he was once again zoning out. “Hey, Aqualad.”

“Huh? Oh, apologies, Arsenal.”

“You seem really distant tonight. Is everything ok?”

“Yes, everything is fine.”

“Are you sure? Because if it’s not we can talk after the mission.” He reached out to hold his friend’s hand, now knowing what else to do but liking it when Kaldur did this to him. It seemed to be the wrong decision because Kaldur jerked his hand away. 

“I-I’m fine, Arsenal. Really.” 

Before the archer could say anything else, Superboy’s voice came over the comms. “Guys, I found the creature,” he said. “Rendezvous at my coordinates.” The two of them took off running. The coordinates led them to a large warehouse.

‘Of course, this is where he’s hiding,’ Arsenal thought as they entered. Large shelves full of stuff and equipment created a maze around them. The two split up, one going left and one going right. Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked to his bow. He had it in a real position with the string pulled back as he moved through the shelves. His feet barely scraped on the floor as he moved stealthily. He spun around a corner to find his arrow pointing at Aqualad. “Oh, Aqualad,” he said. The bowstring relaxed and he put the arrow back in his quiver. “Did you find Clayface?”

“Clayface?” Aqualad asked, tilting his head to the side. While it was something that normally made Arsenal’s stomach flutter, he had to frown at the tone. It was different than his friend’s normal one. It wasn’t soft and reassuring. It was almost hard and angry; which was a tone the archer was very familiar with. “No…” He made a fist. “I don’t believe I did.” Before Arsenal could react something hit him from the left side, causing him to hit a shelf. He’d been lifted off his feet, so he scrapped down the side of it on his way to dropping to the ground. 

Meanwhile, Aqualad was rounding a corner when he saw Arsenal standing at the end of the aisle. “Arsenal,” he said as he approached. “Any sign of Clayface?”

“ ‘Clayface’? Uh….no. Not here,” Arsenal replied. Despite the seriousness of the situation, his smile made Aqualad smile a little bit himself. The corners of his mouth lifted a little bit. It was practically a reflex. 

“Any word from the rest of the Team?” He turned away to hide how pleased he was to see his friend. 

“No. Sorry.”

Aqualad sighed and saw something move from the corner of his eye. Moving instinctively, he snatched his water bearers off his back and created two maces, then spun around to meet the mace that Clayface had made. “Where is Arsenal?!”

“Not here…” Clayface smiled knocked Aqualad back with his other hand. The Atlantean was hit so hard he flew through the air and hit the opposite wall. Stunned, Aqualad was unable to reach for his water bearers as Clayface approached him, laughing. He attempted to push himself up, but couldn’t quite do it. 

‘My friends…teammates..’ he thought dully as Clayface approached him. ‘Roy… I-I have to help him… He could be hurt…’ Clayface roared and held his giant hands up over his head, only for the skylight above him to suddenly explode. He looked at it as Batman dropped into the room. The Dark Knight threw two exploding bat-a-rangs, which went off in Clayface’s arm. This caused the monster to come after him, but he jumped away nimbly as the creature’s hands hit the ground where he’d just been. He jumped up again and fired a supercharged taser at his opponent. Clayface roared as the electricity caused him to break down into a big pile of mud. In only a few seconds, he was defeated. 

Aqualad took a breath and push himself up as the other came around the corner. He was relieved to see Arsenal was ok if a little bruised, but the relief was short lived when he saw how angry Batman was. 

“Cave. Now,” Batman said simply. He turned away, leaving the Team to follow. 

“Are you ok?” Arsenal asked Aqualad, coming to his side. 

“I am. Are you?”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

“That’s good. I am…I am relieved.” Arsenal smiled at him a little bit, making Aqualad swallow and turn away. The butterflies in his stomach had returned. ‘I should not get too comfortable. Batman is going to be mad when we get back.’

— — 

Almost as soon as they arrived at the Cave, Batman turned to them. “I need to talk to Aqualad,” he said. “The rest of you hit the showers and head home.”

“Head home?” Superboy asked as he walked past Batman. “I am home.” 

Arsenal glanced back as he walked, only to see Robin hanging around near their leader. “Just Aqualad.” Robin frowned a little, but left. His older bother waited for him, but Robin bushed past him without even a glance. Arsenal’s shoulders fell and he followed Robin to the showers. 

“I am sorry you had to intervene,” Aqualad said. “I know the Team performed poorly-“

“The Team performed adequately. The problem was you. You’re their leader and your head wasn’t in the game.”

“No, you are-“ Aqualad stopped, realizing that he didn’t have a defense. He sighed. “Correct.” Batman simply looked at him, clearly wanting him to explain himself. “Lately I have….” He paused, wondering if he could explain the dream he’d been having. Once where he and Roy were swimming or even dancing. Where Roy always smiled at him and hugged him. ‘No, I cannot. Batman is Roy’s mentor, he would get mad if he knew Roy was the reason I am distracted. “Lately I have been feeling conflicted.” Not a total lie. “For so many years the surface world consumed my every thought, but now that I am here, my dreams are all Atlantis.” Again, not a total lie. Kaldur did miss his home, but there were specifically two people making his mind wander. 

“Or someone you left behind.” Kaldur’s head snapped up, suddenly afraid Batman had figured out what he was really talking about. “You can split your time between the surface and the sea, but not your mind. Either you're here, 100% or you need to walk away. Make a decision, Kaldur. And make it soon.”

Kaldur nodded and went to shower off and rest. He had only made it halfway to the showers though when Arsenal found him. It looked as though his friend hadn’t made it to his shower yet. He was covered in muck and mud and smelt awful. He gave Kaldur a concerned look. “Everything ok, Kal?” he asked. 

“Yes. Of course.”

“You sure? You look….weird.”

Kaldur forced himself to smile. “I am fine, Arsenal.” Unfortunately for him, Arsenal could tell it was fake. 

“Kai…come on. It’s me.”

‘That’s the problem,’ Kaldur thought, his smile falling. ‘It's you. Smart, brave, kind, strange you. That’s my problem!’ He sighed. “I-I do not know how to explain it. When I do, I shall talk to you. I promise.”

“Pinky promise?” Kaldur frowned and Roy gently hooked their pinkies together. 

“I….pinky promise.” 

“Ok.” Roy let go and walked away. Kaldur watched him go, then fall back against the wall, putting his head in his hands. Again with the strange, but endearing surface rituals. ’As I said, you are the problem, Roy.’

— — 

“B-03,” the zeta tube announced as Kaldur arrived in Posideonis. He swam down the hall towards, Kind Orin, who was waiting for him. 

“Greetings, Kaldur’ahm,” the king said in Atlantean. 

“Greetings, King Orin,” Kaldur replied in his native language, saluting. After washing up and sleeping for several hours, he felt a lot better. The dilemma he faced still weighed heavily on his mind, but he at least felt rested enough to try and deal with it. 

“The Queen and I are hosting an intimate dinner tonight.” King Orion still spoke in Atlantean as they swam. “You will attend?”

“Your Majesty… There is someone…special…I hoped to see tonight-“

“You may invite a friend.”

“Thank you, my king.”

“Until tonight.” They split off, Kaldur going one way and his mentor the other. 

‘Maybe when I talk to her I can figure it out,’ he thought as he swam toward the conservatory. ‘Or perhaps Garth would be willing to lend his ear. He has always given me useful advice before.’ Once he reached the conservatory, he kept his eyes open for his friends. He swam past students practicing the magic but didn’t see the two he was looking for. After a couple of minutes, he came across a friend, though not the one he was looking for. 

“I’ll never finish in time!” he friend said, waving his hands and causing some crystals to float onto a mostly finished mural, booming part of it as they settled. 

“Too, the workmanship is magnificent.”

“Kaldur! Wait! Watch. Listen…” He pointed at the mural and light swirled around it. Kaldur smiled as he watched his friend bring the mural to life, re-telling the story of how he became Aqualad. Unfortunately, his dilemma still weighed heavily on his mind and he stopped listening after a few minutes. “Uh…Kaldur? Aqualad?”

“Oh! It’s good.”

“Do you think it’s fine I put myself there? I know I wasn’t really there, but-“

“It is fine. Do you know where I might find Tula and Garth?”

“On the roof at their studies.”

“Thank you.” Kaldur moved on, heading for the roof. As he approached, he could see his two friends fighting with each other. They stopped and Queen Mera said something to Grath, then noticed Kaldur was approaching. 

“Kaldur’ahm!” she smiled. “It is so good to see you.” Tula and Garth turned around. 

“Kaldur!” Tula greeted. 

“Apologies, My Queen,” Kaldur said to Mera, putting his fist on his forehead. “I did not mean to interrupt.”

“It is well,” she replied. “I have another class. Will I see you at dinner?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“We will talk then.” Queen Mera left, leaving the three friends alone. 

“You look well, Kaldur,” Tula said, giving him a hug. 

“Yes,” Garth agreed. “surface life agrees with you.”

“You speak as if I have been gone for years,” Kaldur said. “It has only been-“

“Two months,” his friends said in unison. 

“That long? Then I must make up for lost time. Tula, will you join me for dinner tonight, at the palace?” Tula and Garth shared a look. “I wish I could invite you as well, Garth.”

“I made that choice, long ago,” Garth told him. 

“We have another class,” Tula said. “But I will see you tonight.” She pulled Garth away and they swam off. Kaldur watched them go with a smile. Worry still plagued his mind though. 

‘Tonight,’ he decided as he swam away as well. ‘Tonight I will be able to decide.’

“You still have to tell him,” Garth said to Tula as they left. She didn’t reply but merely nodded. 

— — 

Later that night, on the surface in Gotham, Dick was practicing on the rings. He flipped on them, then threw himself in the air and caught himself. Grunting in effort, he held himself up with his arms. “Just…Aqualad…” he breathed as he slowly lowered himself so his arms were parallel to the ground at his sides. He flipped again, then flipped off them. He landed on top of one of Bruce’s punching bags, only for his momentum to carry him off. Dick caught himself in two flips, eventually stopping at the wall. He huffed. ‘First Roy…now Bruce…’ He spun and punched the wall, denting it. ‘Why does no one think I’m good enough?!’ He walked away from the wall so he could get a drink of water. 

Unknown to him, he was being watched by Alfred and Bruce.

Dick sat down on a bench to take a drink of his water. The door opened and Alfred stood in the doorway. “Master Bruce wishes to see you,” he said. 

‘Probably has something he needs to correct me on,’ Dick thought with a sign. He got up and followed Alfred nonetheless. He was surprised when Alfred led him to one of the back doors and opened it. dick stepped out onto the half court near the property wall, to find Bruce stating there with a basketball. “What’s this?!” Dick asked as Bruce bounced the ball toward him. 

“Training,” Bruce replied easily. “Hand-eye coordination.”

Dick smiled. “One-on-one?”

“If you think you can handle it.” Dick laughed and started dribbling past Bruce. 

Above their heads, Roy watched them from his bedroom. He looked down at the IM device in his hand and sighed. ‘Please message me tonight, Kal,’ he thought. ‘Please.’

— — 

Back in Atlantis, Kaldur was sitting to dinner, listening to King Orin’s brother tell them about a creature at the science center. “A gigantic echinoderm,” Prince Orm said. “Frozen, but still alive. Of course, the data is quite limited. But Dr. Volko thinks the creature is very promising.” 

Wanting to escape the story, Kaldur leaned over to Tula. “I wish to speak with you after,” he whispered. 

“I as well,” Tula replied. 

“I would advise you both to pay attention to the story,” Queen Mera advised them in a whisper. 

“Of course,” Tula and Kaldur replied, catching each other’s eyes and smiling. 

‘This is how easy it feels with Roy,’ Kaldur thought. ‘I have known Tula and Garth for years, but with Roy…it feels as though we have been friends forever. After dinner. After we will talk and I will make my decision.’ 

— — 

Back on the surface, the speedsters were having a birthday dinner. Barry smiled as he looked around at the empty plates. “Here,” he said. “Let me grab that. And that, and that, this.” With each word he grabbed another plate at super speed, then ran the stack into the kitchen. Wally finished eating, then stood up and held out his plate. He smiled when Barry ran past, grabbing his plate.

“Thanks, Uncle Barry,” Wally smiled. 

“No problem, kid.”

“Now if only you were that fast in cleaning the table,” Iris said to her nephew.

“Hey!” Wally objected as he headed into the kitchen to help his uncle.

“I know what you mean,” Joan replied. “My Jay is the same way.” Jay frowned. “I know, I know, you’re a retired speedster. And since it’s your birthday, we won’t argue.”

“Wally is fast enough when he wants to be,” Barry commented as he walked in with the cake. “We’re all out of ice cream.” Everyone looked at Wally, watching him red-handed eating the ice cream. 

“Wally!” Iris scolded. 

“Oh, leave him be,” Jay said as Wally zoomed back to his seat. The older speedster smiled and ruffled the teen’s hair. “Boys will be boys.”

“Thanks, Jay,” Wally smiled. “I always liked you.”

“Did you tell him?” Iris whispered to Barry as he set the cake down. 

“No. I-I couldn’t.”

“Barry!” 

“Well-“

“What’re you two whispering about?” Joan asked. Barry and Iris shared a look that made everyone else at the table a little uneasy. 

“We don’t want to ruin your birthday celebrations, Jay.”

“Nonsense, Barry,” Jay replied. “Whatever it is, it sounds serious.”

Barry and Iris sighed as the former sat down. “Wally…” he began. “I-I got a call today from Kieth. You remember him, right? He was-“

“The prosecutor on my case,” Wally finished. “Yeah, I remember him. Why?” 

“He told me….”

“What is it, Uncle Barry?”

Barry sighed. “Your dad was granted parole today. He’s being released in three days.”

“They paroled him?”

“I know its only been 4 years-“

“It’s fine.”

“Son,” Jay began, putting a hand on Wally’s shoulder, but the teenager waved him off. 

“I said it’s fine, it is. There’s a reason I didn’t want to give a victim’s statement at the parole hearing.”

“Are you sure?” Iris asked him.

“Of course. Look…what’re the chances Dad would even want to come near me after everything that went down? Besides, I’m a speedster now, I’m Kid Flash! I can handle myself. I’m fine with this, guys, honest.”

“If you’re sure…” Barry said uneasily 

“I am! Now come on, let’s have some cake, or I’ll eat all of that too!”

— — 

In Atlantis, dinner was just finished when King Orin and Queen Mera both stood. “We have an announcement,” the king said. 

“I am with child,” Mera smiled. 

“That’s wonderful!” Tula cheered, jumping up, then swimming over to give Mera a hug. 

“Congratulations,” Kaldur said to Orin, shaking his hand. “An heir to the throne at last.” His attention was drawn to Prince Orm as the man stood. “Apologies, Prince Orm. I did not mean-“

“No fear, Kaldur,” Orm replied with an easy smile. “No one could be more thrilled at this news than I.”

“Thank you, brother,” Orin said. He smiled at his queen, then kissed her. Unfortunately, their kiss was interrupted by his comm. 

“Superman to Aquaman,” Superman said. “League trouble. You are needed in Tokyo Bay. Rendezvous at the Watchtower.”

“Acknowledged.” Orin hit the symbol on his belt as he talked, then turned to Mera. “It seems I must take my leave.” He looked at Kaldur. “Swim with me.” The two of them left swiftly. As they swam, Orin looked at Kaldur. “Batman informed me of your dilemma.” Kaldur felt a flash of fear. Batman, he could give vague half-truths to. Not his king and mentor though. “I know what it is like to lie there, and love here.” 

‘If only it were that easy,’ Kaldur thought sadly. 

They arrived at the zeta tube and Aquaman put in his code. “Aquaman,” the zeta tube announced. “06.”

“I am confident you will make the right decision,” Aquaman said to his protege. Kaldur smiled and put his fist to his forehead. Aquaman departed, but as soon she was gone the smile slipped from Kaldur’s lips. 

“I wish I shared your optimism, my king,” he sighed, before turning and swimming back. When he returned, he could Tula waiting for him outside the hall. 

“Shall we swim,” she asked him. “Queen Mera has dismissed us for the evening.”

“Yes, lets.” They started swimming, heading of the outskirts of the city. All around them, the ocean was alive with bright plants and fish, standing out against the dark of the ocean floor. “I wish I could show this to Roy.”

“Roy?” 

“I-I mean Arsenal. He is one of Batman’s proteges. He is a very skilled archer.”

“I see.”

“He grew up in a desert, where there is no water. He has never even gone swimming in the ocean. I fear the pressure may be too much for his human body, but I would love to show him how much life is down here. I know he would love it.”

“I am sure.” Tula smiled at him in a strange way as they stopped. 

“I have-“ they both said at the same time, then stopped and laughed. Kaldur gestured for his companion to go first.

“Kaldur…there is something I have been meaning to tell you. Garth and I…we are together.”

Kaldur wasn’t sure if he should laugh, cry, or some combination of the two. He opened his mouth to speak, only for an explosion from behind them to grab their attention. All around them, explosions went off and buildings crumbled. Kaldur’s face contorted in horror as he watched it. “We must go!” They swam as fast as they could towards the castle. ‘There is an attack on the city while Aquaman is away… I do not believe this to be a coincidence.’ As they swam into one of the more populated areas, he saw soldiers being attacked. Tula created two swirling lights of magic, which hit one of the men. Kaldur took out his water bearers and created two swords. He started slicing through their guns and knocking them to the group. 

“Alpha squad requesting back-up-“ one of the men began, only to be cut off by Kaldur hitting him. 

‘Definitely a coordinated attack.’ They kept swimming, soon coming upon Garth and Queen Mera holding their own. Kaldur crated a whip with one of his water bearers and wrapped it around the waist of one of the men, In the next motion he slammed the man into a stone wall. “This attack was precision coordinated.” He dodged laser blasts and created a mace to hit a man in the head with it. “The initial explosions lured the patrols into an ambush.” He created a shield to stop more laser blasts. One of them got close and he grabbed the man’s weapon, then hit him with it. He electrified the area around him, shocking two more men. He knocked another one into a nearby stalagmite. He wrapped a whip around one and pulled. With much force, it came down and surprised the men attacking him. A sudden funnel started sucking up the attackers. He saw that it was Tula, who was shooting the rocks she picked up back at the other men. 

“Tula!” Garth yelled when he saw her. 

Tula turned around and saw one of them coming up behind Garth. “Garth, look out!” She swam to him and spun around, taking the impact of the laser blast. “Ah!” It electrocuted her and she fell unconscious into Garth’s arms.

“Tula!” Kaldur shouted. He swam to his friends as Queen Mera protected them from more blasts. Her tattoos started to glow as she created a giant glowing octopus that not only shielded them from blasts but also grabbed at men in the water. 

“Surface communications are down!” Orm informed them. “We cannot contact King Orin. We should summon more troops to the palace.”

“The place was not the only place attack,” Garth replied. “I saw explosions in sectors, 1, 2, 3, and 5.”

“Nothing in sector 4?” Kaldur asked, swimming a few feet away. “Explosions all over the city, except where the science center is. Where your giant sea star is stored.”

“This is all a diversion. But with the king away, I must protect the queen. I am needed here.”

“I need no protection!” Mara shouted to him. “Go!”

“No, Mera. If you suffered any injury, my brother would never forgive me.”

“The prince is right, my queen,” Kladur agreed. “This battle is mine.”

“And mine,” Garth said, making Kaldur stop. He saw his two friends and felt his heartache. 

“Your place is with Tula.” He turned and saw away. ‘Just as mine would be with Roy.’ As he approached the since center, he swam past bodies of what he hoped were just stunned soldiers. He reached the door and put in the code to get inside. The sound of someone swimming up behind him got his attention and he turned around, a sword already formed. “Garth!” His friend was floating right behind him. “What are you doing here? You should be with Tula.”

“Mera watches over Tula,” Garth explained. “And sent me to you,” Kaldur said nothing, but led him into the center. They swam through the eerily silent halls for a minute. Eventually, Kaldur fell back. “Do you have a plan?” Garth stopped when he realized his friend was no longer with him. He looked around. “Kaldur?” Two enemies swam into a nearby doorway, but Kaldur jumped down on them and knocked them unconscious before they could do anything. Garth stared at him in open-mouthed shock. 

“I too have my studies. And now.” He swam down to the men and took one of their weapons. “I have another plan.”

Less than five minutes later, two uniformed attackers swam into the room with the frozen starfish. Black Manta watched them closely. He approached the two as one of them examined one of the wires. “Impressive, is it not?” he asked. “Aqualad?” Aqualad spun around and started shooting. Garth followed suit, but their adversary dodged every shot. Black Manta fired at them with the eyes in his helmet, knocking them back and destroying their guns. As they got close to the wall, Kaldur pulled off his helmet and took out his water bearers. He dodged blasts sent by Black Manta’s men, then dodged one from the man himself. He created a whip, which wrapped around one man’s leg, and dragged him down. “Such a waste! You really have no ambition beyond serving, Aquaman? There are scores of others willing to die for their king!” He looked at Garth. “This fool for example!” 

Garth, who’d just gotten his helmet off, saw the blast coming for him, but then in the next instant a whip wrapped around his body and jerked him out of the way. Kaldur pulled him down to the floor and behind a pillar. “Garth,” he said, looking his friend in the eye. “Get your head in the game.” 

As Kaldur swam away he heard Garth’s voice, “I summon the power of the Tempest.” Rushing past Kaldur, a large funnel of water hit Black Manat and his men. Above their heads, the laser finished cutting through the dome and a hook was descending. Kaldur attacked Black Manta, but the man punched him away. He created a shield as blasts from the guns hit it. Then Grath came up beside him and he sent electric blasts at their enemies. Black Manta returned with an electric attack of his own, which electrocute the two boys and sent them flying back. Kaldur fought the pain and came out of the smoke. He crouched down with a shield as more blasts came at him. Taking a breath, he jumped up and swung the sword in his other hand at Black Manta. The man dodged, but Kaldur changed his shield into a sword, then swung them both. 

The momentum caused him to flip, but he missed. Black Manta moved around him and hit him on the back. A blast hit by his head, then he created another shield to keep more blasts at bay. He saw them attaching the cable to the sea star. “Garth! The cable!” he shouted. Garth created an electric blast and threw it at the cable. The call snapped, dropping the starfish. The ice cracked and one leg fell out. Black Manat started to swim to it, but Kaldur created to whips. One wrapped around the man’s legs and the other around his torso. Kaldur created an electric current, but his adversary was able to break free. 

“If I can’t have it, no one can!” he roared. He turned to the sea star and primed a shoulder missile. It hit its target and Garth jumped in front of Kaldur, creating an ice shield to protect them. They both braced themselves as the explosion rock the building. When it finally died down, Garth broke down the shield. Black Manta was gone. They looked up in time to see his ship making its getaway. 

— — 

Back in Gotham, Dick was climbing the stairs back to his bedroom. Sweat was dripping down his face and he was tired, but the smile on his face would’ve been hard to miss. He practically hummed as he walked down the all, passing Roy’s room. The door was open and he paused in the doorway. He frowned when he saw that Roy was curled up by his window. “What’re you doing?” Dick asked as he entered. He caused Roy to jump and drop his IM device. 

“Nothing,” Roy replied, grabbing his fallen device. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, I-“ Dick stopped. “Were you spying on us?!”

“I wasn’t spying! I was just…watching.”

“Watching?”

“Observing.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “That’s creepy, bro.”

“Says you.”

“Whatever. I was finally getting some attention from Bruce, don’t ruin it.”

“I wasn’t- What’s the matter with you?”

“What?”

“You’ve been acting really weird lately. You’re acting like a brat-“

“Maybe because you got a solo case that should’ve been mine! I’ve been doing this longer, if Bruce should trust anyone to handle a solo case, it should be me! All you do is complain, but you have everything! You got a mission and a case! I would love to have one of those and for Bruce to trust me like that!”

“Believe me, Dick, I would love to trade with you. You can go to school. You have a life outside the Manor. You get to leave the Manor. You, Dick Grayson, exist, outside this bubble! No one knows I’m here! Everyone still thinks I’m missing! Roy Harper practically doesn’t exist anymore! I feel like all I am anymore is Arsenal. So I would love to trade with you Dick because then I could have a normal life where I have friends and interests, and hobbies outside of our bubble!” 

His brother’s words made Dick pause. He felt a sub of guilt cut through his jealousy. “….I-I never thought about it like that.”

“I’m sure Bruce will give you a solo case eventually. You’re really good at this Dick, you taught me everything I know. I don’t see how he can’t.”

‘Ah man, why does he have to be so sincere?’ Dick wanted to be mad at Roy, but couldn’t. Roy was his brother, and Dick loved him. He frowned as something else occurred to him. “You’re still ignoring me.”

“What? When?”

“You’re going to Kaldur for comfort. I’m always the one who helps you when you need it. I’ve been doing it for three years! And he helped you with your case. It’s like you’re trying to replace me!“

“No, Dick, it’s not like that. My relationship with Kal, it’s not like with you. You’re my brother, but Kal… He understands me, Dick. He listens and he understands, and when he doesn’t understand he asks questions until he does. When I’m with him I just feel really happy and calm and safe. I know he’ll be there with me, and he doesn’t freak out when I have a panic attack. He never judges me or gets angry. He’s smart and funny and kind and- why are you smiling?” 

“Oh….no reason…” Dick practically smirked. “You’re right though, your relationship with Kaldur is completely different. No similarities…what….so…ever.”

“Ok. So….we good?’

“Yeah, we’re good.” Dick crossed the room and hugged Roy tight. “Now, I have to go shower.” 

“Yes, do that.”

“See you in the morning.” Dick left and grabbed his phone as soon as he was in his room. 

Dick: MJ 2morrow. BIG NEWS 2 share

Wally: SAME

Dick: good?

Wally: neutral. u?

Dick: sooooooo goooood ;)

— — 

Two days later, the city had recovered and Aquaman had returned. He held his wife close and looked over Kaldur, Tula, Garth, and his brother. “Our city was heavily damaged, and many Atlanteans were injured, but it could have been far worse.” He put his hand on Mera’s stomach. “I am grateful to all of you.”

Prince Orm held up a small container. “This contains all that survived,” he said. “It is already regenerating. The creature needs further research, but with the dome ruined and the science center ruined, we cannot store and study it securely here in Atlantis. Perhaps the surface world can do better.”

“I am sure they will be eager to try.” He looked at his protege. “Kaldur?”

Kaldur stepped forward and put his fist on his forehead. “Call me Aqualad, my king.” That made Aquaman smile. 

“I must speak with my queen and brother for a moment.” The three adults let the teenagers alone. Kaldur faced Tula and Garth. 

“Kaldur,” Tula said after a moment. “We want to say… That is…”

“I wish you both the best,” he assured them, putting his hands on their shoulders. “Besides you have….helped me.”

“Helped you?”

“Yes. When I came here, I wanted to put to rest a decision I’d needed to make regarding Roy.”

“Who?” Garth asked. 

“Roy, he is Arsenal, one of Batman’s proteges. He is an incredibly skilled archer and a great hero. Very kind and brave, and if you knew half of what he has been through you would understand how amazing that is.”

“He grew up in the desert,” Tula added with a hint of amusement. “Where there is no water.”

“Yes! He tells me about it all the time. He can read the stars and loves to camp. He can build trick arrows that do amazing things, and he builds them all himself. He is very smart. He-“ Kaldur stopped when he registered the amused look Garth was giving him. “What?”

“Oh nothing,” Garth shrugged. “I am just impressed that out of all the surface people there are, you chose to have a crush on Batman’s son.”

Kaldur blushed a little. “One of his sons…”

“But you do like him, Kaldur?” Tula asked. “As more than a friend?”

“Yes. I do. I find myself missing Atlantis so much, but when I am with him… I feel like I am home and I am at peace.” 

“Go for it then!” Garth told him excitedly. “You deserve to be happy too, Kaldur.”

“You are forgetting Batman.”

“What about him? If you make his son happy, that should be enough for him.”

Tula chuckled. “At least seriously consider it,” she told him. “We want you to be happy up there.”

“And we will find a way to come visit so we can meet this Roy. To be sure he is as great as you make him out to be.” They both laughed when Kaldur blushed more. 

“I shall consider it then,” he said with a smile. 

Unbeknownst to them, Aquaman and Mera and returned, but unseen. They’d overheard the first half of the conversation, then fallen back to give the teens some privacy. “Kaldur’ahm has feelings for one of Batman’s proteges?” Mera asked him. 

“It appears so. That would explain a lot though. They are very close and Kaldur is very happy when they are together.” He smirked a little bit. “Looks like I have something interesting to tell Batman next time I see him.”

Back with the teens, Kaldur gave his friends a hug and approached the zeta. He stopped on the edge. “Have you ever wondered what would’ve happened if I had stayed behind?” he asked Garth. “and you had become Aqualad?”

“Never,” Garth replied with absolute confidence. 

“No. Neither have I.” He walked through, leaving Atlantis behind. 

“Aqualad, B-03,” the zeta tub announced as he entered the Cave. Batman was there working when he walked into the main cavern. 

“Made your decision?” Batman asked. 

“The decision is made,” Aqualad answered. He hesitated before he continued. “I am here, 100%.” 

“Just in time for your next mission.” The Team walked in behind Batman. Behind the Dark KNight’s back, Aqualad saw Arsenal and smiled at him. Arsenal smiled in return and nodded at him. Aqualad allowed himself a moment of happiness, before setting his face and listing to the briefing. “The Watchtower has detected a massive power surge in the Bialyan Desert-“


	16. Bereft

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's that time of the week again! I watched the first three episodes of season 3 the other day, and I loved it! Let me know what you thought if you've seen it! Enjoy the chapter!

It was hot. That was the first thing Arsenal was aware of when he woke up. The second thing he was aware of was the dirt in his mouth. “Mmmm…” Opening his eyes resulted in slamming them shut again because it was so bright. “Wha-“ He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Where am I?” There was dirt. A lot of dry dirt. That’s all he could see all around him. “The desert…how-how did I get here?” He frowned. “I-I don’t remember…” His bow was a few feet away, so he scooped it up and crept around the giant stone he’d woken up next to, grateful for the air to be around 5 degrees cooler in its slim shadow. 

“Ok,” he whispered. “I need to figure what’s going on.” Arsenal turned on his holo-glove. “Ok, I’m….in Bialya?! Why am I not in Gotham?!” He shook his head. “I-I don’t understand…” His breathing started getting a little faster. ‘I’m not in Gotham…I don’t know where Batman is, or Robin! O-Ollie could find me!’ That thought made him freeze. ‘Is that why I’m here? Does he have something to do with it?!’ His hand flew to his comm to contact Batman and ask him, but then he hesitated. 

‘Maintain radio silence at all time,’ Batman’s voice said in his head. 

“But….why?” He sighed and looked back at his holo-glove, hoping to find some more information. His eyes traveled down to the clock/calendar stamp on his screen. “Why is it September?!” There were too many things about this that didn’t make any sense. He sighed as he shut it off, then stood up. “Ok. I should…try to figure out what’s going on.” Deciding on a direction, he started walking. 

The Bialyan desert wasn’t too different than the desert where he’d grown up. The hard-packed dirt that was like stone under his feet felt nice. Except this dirt didn’t kick up into dust as easily. There were no cactuses and dried up weeds, but the oppressive heat was still present. It was so familiar, Arsenal couldn’t help but feel his muscles relax in it. 

‘What could I possibly be doing here?! Why- Bruce, he didn’t…send me here, did he? Is that why I’m supposed to be radio silent? So he had time to leave?’ Bruce had promised never to send him back to Star, so dropping him off in Bialya wouldn’t have technically been the man breaking his promise. ‘Ok, let’s just keep going.’ He came across a clearing in the canyon-like structures. In the center of the clearing was a run-down cabin. Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver. Moving silently, yet efficiently, he approached the cabin, nudging the door open with his foot. He spun around so he was standing in the doorway. The first thing he registered was the arrow being pointed at him. The second thing he registered was the green costume the girl was wearing. 

“Who are you?!” she demanded. 

“I’m…one of the good guys,” Arsenal stammered, trying to stay calm. Maybe Oliver really was involved in whatever had happened to him. “Who are you?! Are-are you with Green Arrow?!”

“What?” She looked down at her clothes, then gasped in surprise and dropped her bow to her side; letting the arrow fall to the ground. “Who put me in these clothes?!”

“Uh….” He didn’t know how to respond to that. So he changed the subject. “Can you use that bow?”

“Yeah. my dad taught me- Dad! He must’ve done this! Another of his stupid tests.”

“Wh-What kind of test?”

“He probably wants me to kill you.”

‘Oliver is definitely involved!’ Arsenal’s hand holding his bowstring back had started to relax, but that comment made him pull it back again. Before he could fire it though, he heard something. A whistling sound that was getting louder. Both he and the girl looked up through the hole in the ceiling, then he dropped the arrow and grab her wrist. They bolted from the cabin, only to have a bomb drop on it and explode mere seconds after they’d gotten out. The explosion knocked them off their feet. Arsenal grunted and pushed himself up onto his elbow. The cabin was completely gone. Beyond the smoking remains, there were tanks and a Humvee approaching. “Nope, let’s go!” They scrambled to their feet and started running. One of the men in the Humvee started firing at them. Arsenal pulled a glue arrow from his quiver. He shot it at the tires and the vehicle lurched to a stop. He used the glint of the sun on the gun barrel to aim an arrow at it. With a bit of luck on his side, the arrow slid down the bun barrel easily. 

They reached a small rock and the girl crouched down behind it. Arsenal saw the tanks leveling their barrels at them and he looked up. He shot a grapple arrow up at the side of the ravine, wrapped an arm around the girl’s torso, then retracted the line. Below them, the ground exploded as they zipped up through the smoke. “Sorry,” he apologized as she climbed onto the top. “They have bigger arrows.”

“…Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Like I said, one of the good guys.” He looked down then put his grapple arrow back in his quiver. “Let’s keep moving.”

“Yeah, good idea.” 

They walked in silence for a while. Finally, Arsenal spoke. “What was that about killing me? You know…earlier?”

“…..It was nothing. We should try to figure out what we’re doing here.”

“Uh….right.” Eventually, the ravine edge they were walking on ended, so they scaled down the rocks. Arsenal moved with ease, finding all the hand and foot holds he needed before he could jump down safely. He was about to call up to the girl to guide her down, only to discover that she was already halfway to him. She jumped off as well, landing nimbly next to him. 

“Which way?”

“…..This way.” Arsenal made sure to keep pace with the girl, not wanting her to walk behind him. Another 15 minutes passed in silence as they walked. After a while, Arsenal saw a shadow moving on the ground. “What-“ He stopped, then jumped back in the next motion. A…teenager, who looked strangely like Superman, had just fallen from the sky. The teen was crouched on the ground, glaring at the two archers and baring his teeth. He yelled and smacked Arsenal, sending him into a rock wall. Pain spiked through the archer’s body as he hit it. Taking a breath, he winced. Definitely broken ribs and at least a mild concussion. Trying to get his feet under himself, he watched as the girl he was with flipped away from their attacker and shot an arrow at him. Arsenal gritted his teeth as he pushed himself up, using the rock wall to support himself. The girl kept firing arrows at her attacker, but none of them even cut him. He just kept coming. She had to edge to the side, only for a missile to hit him. 

The girl was knocked off her feet again and in the distance, Arsenal saw the tanks. His companion was unconscious, so he reached for an arrow. Before he could shoot, or even nock his arrow, the teenaged-attacker leaped at the tanks. He practically flew through the air before he landed on and tore off its barrel. The soldiers started shooting at him, but the bullets didn’t seem to phase him. The attacker merely grabbed the gun from the soldier’s hands, snapped the barrel in half, then threw it to the side. Arsenal ran towards the girl, who was coming around. He pulled her to her feet and backward as the attacker pulled the soldier from the tank, threw him aside like a rag doll, then tore off the top part of the tank. 

Alarm spiked in Arsenal’s mind. ‘What in the world is going on?!’ They watched as another missile hit him and knocked him several yards away. Only a second later though, the attacker leaped at the tank again. 

“Whose side is he on?!” the girl next to Arsenal demanded. 

“Do you want to stick around here to find out?” They turned and ran. Both archers ran as fast as they could, eventually leaving behind the dirt and running onto some sand dunes. As they were running down one, Arsenal’s foot got caught on a rock and he tripped. His momentum knocked him into the girl and carried them both down the dune. “Sorry-“ He froze as two planes flew over their heads. “Wha-“ Before he could get the question out, the two planes did a 180 and started firing on them. “Get down!” He pulled the girl to the ground as bullets whizzed over their heads and hit the sand around them. When the bullets stopped, they looked up, only to see the planes turning around again. Sick of being attacked for whatever reason, with archers nocked arrows to their bows. 

‘Don’t worry, I’m almost there!’ a girl’s voice said in their heads. 

“Ah!” Arsenal yelped in shock, missing his plane by a long shot. The girls’ arrow also missed and she gasped. 

“Did you just hear a girl in your head?” she asked him. Arsenal could only nod. The planes kept coming, though at closer quarters Arsenal could tell they were actually drones. Suddenly, a girl dressed as….Martian Manhunter….? appeared in the sky and waved her arms. It caused the two drones to run into each other and explode. 

“Well, J’ohn,” Arsenal said as the girl floated down toward them. “the costume looks…familiar. Although I’m not sure the new body screams ‘Manhunter’.”

“You know my Uncle J’ohn?!” the girl asked excitedly. “Hello Megan, of course, you do! Arsenal and Artemis!”

“Wait, Martian Manhunter is your uncle? Is that how you know who I am?”

“You call yourself Arsenal?” Artemis asked him. 

“No, it's ok!” Megan explained. “We’re friends, teammates. I made you cookies.”

“You know her?” 

“No!” Arsenal objected. Something in his gut was telling him these two were familiar, but it didn’t make any sense. ‘I haven’t left Gotham in years. I haven’t even seen Aqualad in over a year!’ Not that he could explain that to these two teenage girls he may or may not know. “I-I’ve never seen her before in my life…”

Megan sighed. “You’ve both lost your memories too,” she realized. She looked back at a large black cloud that was rising in the distance. “Come on, I’ll fill you in on the way. Robin, Kid Flash, and Superboy need our help.”

“Robin?” Relief and alarm went through his body. ‘Dick is here?! What is he doing here?’ That probably ruled out Bruce leaving him here. He would’ve never done that to Dick. ‘I don’t know if I can trust what…Megan says, but I don’t have another way to find Robin.’ Sighing, he nodded to reinforce the decision to himself, then followed the two girls. 

— — 

They kept walking for a long time. After a while, Arsenal suddenly gasped and stopped to put his bow on his back. 

“What?” Artemis asked as he turned on his holo-glove. 

“I can track Robin!” 

“How?” Megan asked him. 

“Yeah, how can you-“ Artemis’ eyes widened in realization. “You’re that Arsenal?! The one who works with Batman?!”

“….Yeah…” Arsenal stayed focused on his task, of locating his brother. ‘Don’t tell them too much. You don’t know who they are or what they want.’ He took a deep breath, then let it out when he found the missing bird. “We need to go…this way.” He pointed in a direction that was slightly to the right of where they’d already been heading. They kept walking, with Arsenal occasionally checking to make sure he could still find Robin’s tracker. While they walked, Megan told them about “the Team” where he apparently went on missions with other young heroes. ‘Yeah right,’ he thought. ‘Batman doesn’t even let me go to Central or Metropolis. He’d never let me go on missions out of the country with a bunch of teenagers who wouldn’t be able to protect me if Oliver came after me.’ Just thinking the man’s name made him look over his shoulder. ‘I just need to find Robin. He’ll probably know what’s going on.’ 

Unfortunately, they didn’t find him unit nightfall. The desert around them gradually cooled off as the sun went down and everything got dark. ‘How much longer-‘ Arsenal’s thought was cut off by a sudden cloud of smoke appearing. ‘I think we found him.’ He started running towards the cloud, pulling two arrows from his quiver. He nocked them to the bowstring as Megan, Miss Martian she’d called herself during the explanation, flew above their heads. As he got closer he could see men with guns and shot his arrow down the barrel son their guns. Miss Martian threw two more guys back with her powers and Kid Flash ran in, grabbed a guy, then spun him around and threw him. Behind Arsenal, an arrow shot forward, hitting the helmet of a guy. It stunned him long enough for Arsenal to knock his legs out and trap him. 

“Arsenal!” Robin smiled. 

“Robin!” When he reached his brother, the archer put a hand on his shoulder. “Are you ok?”

“Are you ok?”

“…..I think so.”

“It’s good to see you.”

“You too. Uh…you have memory loss?”

“6 months! Let’s hogtie these creeps and compare notes.” Finally, a coherent plan Arsenal could get behind. Once they did that, Miss Martian explained to Kid Flash and Robin, what she had told the two archers.

“So we’re a team?” asked Robin when she was done. Thankfully, he looked as confused and disbelieving as Arsenal felt. 

“Yes,” Miss Martian confirmed. “The five of us and Superboy.”

“This must be his.” Robin gave her a scrap of a t-shirt with Superman’s symbol on it. 

“Yes! Where did you find him?”

“I think we did,” Arsenal said slowly. 

“You mean feral boy?” Artemis asked. “Some teammate.”

“I mean…he doesn’t know who we are,” Kid Flash pointed out. “Heck, I don’t know who we are!”

“I remember Batman ordering radio silence,” Robin said. 

“Me too,” Arsenal agreed. 

“Then our Team must work for him!”

“How do you know we don’t work for my mentor?” asked Kid Flash, tapping the lightning bolt on his chest. This turned his suit from black to yellow. He tapped it again and it turned back. “This is so cool.” He kept chasing his suit colors while everyone else tapped hitter own chest to see if anything would happen. It didn’t. 

“We look ridiculous!” Artemis exclaimed. She looked at Kid Flash, who was still tapping his chest. “Quit touching yourself! We need our memories back.” 

Arsenal frowned, then gasped when Megan’s voice in his head said, “I must do this for Superboy.” A strangled breath escaped him when he suddenly out himself…somewhere else. He was looking up at a dome of scattered memories. Robin heard Arsenal’s breath almost instantly switch to hyperventilation and he grabbed his older brother’s hand. 

“Breathe dude,” he whispered. “In…out…in…out..”

Megan appeared in front of them. “I’ve brought you into my mind to share whatever I’ve remembered so far. But I need your help. Together our broken memories can form a whole if you open your minds to mine.” 

“You want to paw through our private thoughts?!” Artemis demanded. 

“No way!” Arsenal shouted. Robin held tighter to his hand. 

“I have no wish to intrude, but-“

“No!”

“Arsenal, she needs to hack our minds to figure out what happened to us,” Robin explained. 

“No! No way! She’s not going inside my head!”

“Well my brain’s all yours,” Kid Flash smiled. “Just don’t let its brilliance overwhelm you.”

“More like underwhelm you,” Robin remarked as he tried to get Arsenal calmed down. “Hey, why isn’t anyone ever just whelmed?” He looked at Arsenal and squeezed his hand. “I’m right here, bro. You trust I won’t let her hurt you, right?”

“I- yeah….” Arsenal sighed. 

“I’ll be right here and it’ll be ok.”

“…….fine. But-but the last six months only!”

“And only what you need!” Artemis added, now holding Kid Flash’s hand. Megan nodded and held out her hands. Two light projections appeared out of each one and latched on to their heads. Arsenal yelped and squeezed Robin’s hand. He forced himself to breathe slowly and try to stay calm. 

‘….The Watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan desert. Spectral analysis revealed elements non-terrestrial in origin,’ Batman said, standing in front of a holographic map of Bialya. “Find out what landed there. Bialya is a rogue state ruled by Queen Bee, and not a member of the League’s UN charter. As such, communications are subject to interception. Maintain radio silence at all times.

One of them was staring out at the desert through binoculars as he kept talking. “You’ll land in Qurac, just north of Bialya’s border; two clicks from the hot zone.” Whoever was looking turned to the bioship, where Superboy was unloading something large and metal. 

“The Bialyans control the site,” Artemis said as she, Robin, and Arsenal, looked over the crest of a hill. 

Superboy was setting the box on the ground and pushing buttons when someone else said, “Set it up here.”

“I’ll have it running in no time,” Robin said as he typed on a keyboard attached to the box while Kid Flash and Arsenal looked on. 

“Jackpot! The site’s lousy with zeta beam radiation!” Kid Flash cheered. 

“Detecting non-terrestrial trace elements from the tent.”

“I’ll go check it out in camouflage mode,” Miss Martian volunteered. 

“Good idea,” the unknown voice said. 

Now they were watching from Miss Martian’s point of view. 

“Careful,” Superboy advised her. 

“And maintain telepathic contact,” said the unknown voice, now apparently belonging to another teenager with dark skin and tattoos on his arms and neck. 

“I will Aqualad,” Miss Martian said….’

The memories faded sharply and everyone gasped. "Aqualad!” they realized. 

“Where is he?!” Arsenal demanded, worry starting to build. “What happened next?!”

“I don’t know!” Miss Martian replied. “That’s the last thing I- we remember.”

Kid Flash and Artemis realized they were still holding hands and broke apart. “If we landed 24 hours ago and Kaldur has been in the desert that long…well…that’s not good for a guy with gills,” Kid Flash said. 

Robin saw the look of fear on Arsenal’s face and rubbed his arm. “I can find him now that I know to look for him,” Robin said, mostly for Arsenal’s benefit. He pulled up his holo-glove and sighed in relief. “He’s close! ….but he’s not moving.”

“Let’s go then!” Arsenal said. They followed Robin’s instructions and found Aqualad lying in a small ravine. “Kal!” He knelt down by his friend’s side and held his hand. Miss Martian knelt down on Aqualad’s other side and put her hand on his head. “Kal, can you hear me?” Aqualad frowned and started mumbling in Atlantean. 

“I can’t restore his memory in this condition,” Miss Martian told them. 

“He needs immediate re-hydration,” Robin said. “Where’s the bioship?”

“It’s out of range, But you can get him there fast.” She looked hopefully at Kid Flash, but he shook his head. 

“He’s too heavy,” the speedster replied. “and I don’t have enough fuel. Right now, I couldn’t even carry her.” He gestured to Artemis who scoffed. 

“Why not just levitate him back?” she suggested. 

“I can’t,” Miss Martian replied, standing up. “I have to find Superboy!”

“But Kaldur could die!” Arsenal insisted. “He needs help!”

“Six months ago, Superboy didn’t even exist! He has no memories, just animal impulse. I’m the only one who can help him.”

“Superboy’s indestructible,” Kid Flash pointed out. 

“Just ask those tanks,” Arsenal added. “It’s Aqualad who needs your help. Like right now.”

Miss Martian suddenly doubled over a little bit in pain, then shot up straight. “No!” she gasped. “Superboy is in pain!” Without another word, she flew off. 

“M’gann, wait!” Artemis yelled. 

“We still don’t know what erased our memories!” Robin called after her. “It could happen again!” He sighed when she was gone, then turned back around to find Arsenal still holding one of Aqualad’s hands. He felt a stab of pity for both their leader and his brother. “We need to move him.”

“How?” Kid Flash asked. “He’s kind of heavy.”

“Stretcher,” Arsenal said. “We can make a stretcher.”

“With what?!”

Without saying a word the archer took off his quiver and dumped out his arrows. He threw the empty quiver to Robin. “Undo the stitches on that. Artemis, I need yours too.”

“Um, maybe you forgot, but without our quivers, we’re basically useless,” Artemis said but still doing as he asked. 

‘Speak for yourself,’ Arsenal thought. He started taking his regular arrows and lining them up. He carefully activated the lines in his grapple arrows and serving the wires with an acid arrow. 

“Need help?” Kid Flash asked, appearing at his side.

“Start tying those together. Robin, give me your cape.” He caught them in the next instant, then laid it out. He used another acid arrow to strategically burn holes in it. Then, he started tying the wires together through the holes. Kid Flash followed suit on his side. While Robin sliced the quivers with his bat-a-rangs, Arsenal started breaking the heads off his used arrows and using the shafts to reinforce the sides of the stretched. He used controlled and precise applications of glue from a glue arrow to bind them all together. Next, he activated a net arrow and he and Kid Flash attached that as well. Robin finally finished with he quivers and handed them to Arsenal. They repeated the process they had with robin’s cape, searing holds not only to tie the fabric to the sides but also to tie them together. When they finished they had a mishmash of a stretcher.

Kid Flash nodded at the contraption. “Impressive,” he admitted. “It’s not fancy, but-“

“It’ll do,” Arsenal said as he grabbed one of Aqualad’s arms. Robin joined him and Kid Flash joined them as well. Artemis appeared at Arsenal’s side and the three of them lifted Aqualad onto the stretcher. ‘I hope it holds.’ He gathered up the rest of his arrows, as did Artemis. “Just hold your arrows for now. I’ll rig us some new quivers when I get a minute.”

“Let’s get moving for now,” Robin advised. He took Arsenal’s arrows so the archer and Kid Flash could draw the stretcher. They started off across the sand, Robin, and Artemis keeping an eye out for soldiers as they walked. Robin used his holo-glove to navigate them. As they walked, Arsenal could feel his muscles fatiguing. He might not have been Atlantean, but he was also getting dehydrated, and hungry.

‘Guess it’s good I have a lot of experience working on an empty stomach,’ he thought almost bitterly. ‘I can keep going. I know I can.’ 

After a few minutes, Robin suddenly gestured for them to hide behind a rock. “Over there!’ he hissed. They followed him to the hiding place, ducking down just as a Humvee drove past. 

“Mmmm…” Kaldur moaned. “Roy…” the rest of his sentence devolved into Atlantean, but the first word made Robin and Arsenal’s hearts stop. 

“Who’s Roy?” Artemis asked. 

“Uh…must be one of his Atlantean friends,” Robin suggested. “He is speaking in Atlantean.” 

“Shhh, Kladur,” Arsenal shushed gently. He placed his hand on his friend’s forehead. “Quiet, now.” 

Robin peeked over the edge of the rick to see soldiers marching past, then turned to the others. “We can’t pick a firefight with Aqualad KO’d like this,” he hissed. 

“It’s not just him,” Kid Flash said. “I’m way out of juice.”

“And I’m almost out of arrows,” Artemis said, holding up the fist full she had left. 

‘What do you suggest Robin?” Arsenal asked. No answer. 

“Rob?” Kid Flash asked, looking around. Robin was gone. “I hate it when he does the ninja thing.” 

“I’ll make us a couple of quivers while we’re sitting here,” Arsenal said. He reluctantly pulled away from Aqualad to start pulling supplies out of his pouches. Armtek watched, almost intrigued, as he started quickly weaving linen strips, probably or first aid, into the shapes he needed. 

“How-how can you do that?”

“I grew up on a Native American reservation. One of my adopted dad’s friends taught me when she had to watch me overnight once.”

“Wow.” 

“By the way, you never said why you thought your dad wanted you to….you know…to me.”

“I got confused, um….some old movie I saw the other night. About a ninja girl whose ninja dad ordered her to kill her ninja boyfriend because he was from a rival ninja clan.”

That, Arsenal knew, was a lie. ‘I can spot a lie trying to conceal stuff like that a mile away,’ he thought as he worked his way through the second quiver. But they had more important things to worry about, so he stayed quiet and filed it away for later. “Here,” he handed the quiver he’d finished to Artemis. “It’s not pretty, or durable, but it should work until we can get to the bioship.”

“Thanks.” Artemis put the quiver on, which was held to her body with a piece of wire. It wasn’t much, but it would do. She put her arrow in and held her breath. They stayed.

“Nice work, bro,” Robin said, announcing his return. 

“Dude!” Kid Flash hissed. “Where did you disappear off to?!”

Robin smirked. “Breaking radio silence.”

“Do I want to ask?” Arsenal inquired as he put on his temporary quiver. He put the arrows in and nodded to himself in satisfaction. 

“You’ll see.” As if on cue, the heard Robin’s cackling over a dune. A few seconds later an explosion went off. “That’s our cue!”

Kid Flash and Arsenal grabbed the stretcher and they took off. The traveling was easy at first, but after another ten minutes, Kid Flash began to feel the strain in his arms. He switched out with Artemis, and Robin offered to switch out with Arsenal but he refused.

“Come on, bro, you’ve gotta be exhausted,” Robin prompted as they walked. 

“I’m fine,” Arsenal replied. 

“Seriously?! We haven’t had anything to eat or drink in over 24 hours, you can’t-“

“And this isn’t my first time doing hero stuff without eating.” That made Robin shut his mouth. “I said I’m fine, I can handle it. I can.” 

‘That’s an odd thing to say,’ Artemis thought as they walked. She glanced at Kid Flash but he didn’t appear to share her surprise in this revelation. ‘How exactly does Batman train them?’ Her questions went unanswered as they continued in silence. Twice more Robin changed with Artemis, then Kid Flash with Robin. Arsenal stubbornly refused to take a break. 

“Do you think M’gann and Superboy are ok?” Artemis asked as they neared where the Bioship was located over the border in Qurac. 

“I’m sure they are,” Kid Flash replied. “She’s amazing and he’s stubborn. They’ll be ok.” 

“I think we need to worry more about ourselves,” Robin advised. He pointed down their path. Up ahead, just before the border, was a group of soldiers. 

“Oh man, come on! Now, really?!”

“I don’t think we’ll have any choice but to fight,” Artemis said as they once again ducked behind a large rock. 

Arsenal sighed. “I think she’s right. We have maybe a dozen arrows left between us.”

“And I’m on empty,” Kid Flash added. 

“My utility belt is running low,” Robin admitted for the first time. He smiled. “Guess that means we’ll have to get creative.”

“How?” 

“I have an idea.” Everyone leaned in close as Robin detailed this plan. Once everyone knew what they were doing, Arsenal slipped over to the rocks across from them, expertly using the shadows to hide. He crouched down with an arrow nocked to his bow. He peeked over the edge of the rock. Kid Flash ran out and stood in front of the soldiers. 

“Hey, what’s up guys!” he smiled. The soldiers all stared at him in shock. “Cool guns, can I see?!” He ran up to one of them, managing to the gun from the surprised man’s hands. “Finders, keepers!” The speedster laughed as he ran away, at a slightly more than normal human speed. Snapping out of their shock, several soldiers followed him. They shot at him as they ran but Arsenal and Artemis were ready. With him shooting down their gun barrels and her shooting at their hands they were able to disarm the men and attack them. Arsenal punched one of the men, then kicked another in the chest. Artemis ducked under a sloppy punch thrown at her and shied the man’s feet out from under him. She pushed another one in the neck, rendering him unconscious and looked over to see Arsenal hitting another one with his bow. 

Robin, meanwhile, was calling as he flipped and jumped over the remaining soldiers by the border. He sued their shoulders as posing words, allowing his weight and momentum to carry them to the ground when he jumped off. The soldiers kept trying to shoot at him, but it was hard to pin him down. Every time one of them had him in the crosshairs he leaped away. To make it even worse for them, Robin was knocking them unconscious he went, but in a seemingly random order. They couldn’t predict where he’d go next, or who he’d take down. Kid Flash returned and took out the last tow for him, smiling with his arms crossed. 

“Not bad for having very little supplies,” the speedster smiled. Artemis and Arsenal approached, dragging the stretcher with Aqualad on it. 

“Let’s move,” Arsenal advised. They crossed the border into Qurac and from there it wasn’t hard to find the bioship. They boarded and Arsenal and Kid Flash got Aqualad situated on a table while Artemis and Robin prepared an IV. They got him hooked up and Arsenal took off one of his gloves. “His skin is still dry,” he whispered. 

“Give it a few minutes,” Robin advised him. 

Arsenal nodded and got a wet rag. He started patting Equal’s face with it to cool him off faster. ‘Please wake up, Kal. Please.’ 

After a few minutes. Megan’s voice came through to their minds. ‘Hey everybody, I’ve got Superboy,’ she said. ‘He’s back to normal and we’re on our way!’

Aqualad suddenly opened his eyes and shot up. “Whoa,” Arsenal said. “Easy Kal, easy. It’s ok.”

“Who are you?” Aqualad asked, ignoring Arsenal. 

‘Hello, Megan, Aqualad’s memories! I knew I forgot something.’

“Oh man,’ Kid Flash moaned. ‘Me too. I didn’t get a souvenir from the mission.’

‘Don’t worry, we got the souvenir thing covered.’

“Aqualad,” Arsenal said, getting his friend’s attention. “Look at me.”

“A-Arsenal?” Aqualad asked in confusion. “What are you doing here? Where am I? Who is she?!”

“Hey, hey. Listen.” He took one of Aqualad’s hands in his two. “You trust me, right?”

“Yes, I do. I-I cannot explain why, but I do trust you. Completely.”

“Then trust that I know what’s going on and I won’t let anyone hurt you. Ok?”

Aqualad nodded. “Ok, my friend,” He relaxed and Arsenal smiled. Behind his back, Robin and Kid Flash shared a look. Artemis caught this but rolled her eyes. 

‘There’s something going on with Arsenal,’ Artemis thought as she threw herself down in her seat. ‘He acted so freaked when M’gann wanted to go into our minds and he made that strange comment earlier about not needing to eat.’ Her eyes narrowed a little bit as she glanced back at him. ‘What’s going on with you, Arsenal? What’re you trying to hide?’


	17. Targets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for another mission for Roy. I'm still really enjoying Season 3, and getting lot's story ideas. Too bad I'm already so busy with these ones. Anyways, enjoy!

“Good work today Team,” Black Canary told them. It hadn’t been a particularly long or diffract training session, but she pushed them as much as she usually did. “You’re all free to go.”

“Except for Aqualad and Arsenal,” Batman said. “You two stay.” 

Robin gave Arsenal a look but didn’t say anything as he left. ‘Oh I hope this doesn’t start something again,’ the archer thought as everyone else, minus Aqualad, left. 

“What do have for us?” Aqualad asked. 

“I hope you aren’t too tired,” Black Canary said. 

“You two are aware of the conflict between North and South Rhelasia?” Batman asked, the holo-screens bringing up maps of the two countries. Both teens nodded. 

“They’re having a summit for peace negotiations,” Arsenal answered. 

“Yes, but unfortunately the negotiations have broken down. Prime Minister Tseng and General Singh Mahn Li have agreed to let a neutral arbitrator come in to help. However, we have intel that seems to indicate that the Shadow known as Cheshire, wants to kill the arbitrator.” A picture of the shadow appeared and Arsenal stiffened. 

‘It’s her!’ he thought with a spike of alarm. “The shadow that went after Dr. Roquette.”

“Yes. Arsenal, you will go to Taipei and keep an eye on the arbitrator. Save his life and capture Cheshire. We need to find out why she wants to kill him. This mission is extremely sensitive. Understand?”

“Yes, Batman.”

“Aqualad, you will remain here for now and provide information if he needs it.”

“Yes, Batman,” Aqualad nodded. 

“Arsenal, get going.” 

“Yes,” Arsenal nodded. 

“Good luck,” Aqualad told him, walking beside him as he headed for the zeta tube. “Not that you need it, of course.”

“Thanks, Kal. I’ll let you know if need any assistance.”

“Yes, I will be here.” Aqualad watched him go with a small smile, then quickly wiped it off his face before Batman could see. He turned around and stood on the central cavern, waiting for Arsenal to contact him. 

Meanwhile, Black Canary and Batman were heading for the zeta. “Why did they both need to stay?” she asked. “Arsenal could probably look up the information he needs on his holo-glove.”

“Peace between North and South Rhelasia is a priority for the League. Two people working on this mission increases the chances of success.”

“You don’t think he can handle this alone?”

“Why do you think Arsenal is the only one going to Taipei? Besides, didn’t you tell me yesterday that he needs to spend more time with his friend?”

“This isn’t what I meant you know it.” 

Batman didn’t respond but simply walked through the zeta. 

— — 

A few hours later, Arsenal was in Rhelasia, dressed in a suit so he’d blend into the fancily dressed people around him. He hid behind a column and surveyed the crowd. ‘She doesn’t stand out in any way.’ Then again, she wouldn’t be a very good assassin if she did. He put his hand to his comm. “Aqualad?”

“I’m here, Arsenal.”

“Can you give me Cheshire’s exact height?”

“Checking…” There was a brief pause. “Cheshire is 1.67 meters.”

Arsenal’s brain stalled when confronted with metric measurements. “Um….”

“She is 5’6’’. And exceptionally dangerous. Do you need backup?”

“No, I’ve got it for now.” He pushed a button on the side of his sunglasses and started scanning the crowd. Green circles appeared above the people who didn’t fit the height requirement. 

“So I guess I am stuck at the computer.”

“I guess you are.” Arsenal’s eyes landed on a red circle. “Got her.”

“Good luck, my friend. Aqualad out.”

Arsenal’s hand dropped down and he unlatched his suitcase. A compound bow unfolded from within, a new toy Batman had designed for him after deciding the collapsible bow the archer and designed wasn’t tested enough for fieldwork. He snapped it together just as the motorcade escorting the arbitrator arrived. ‘Let’s see who this mystery arbitrator is,’ Arsenal thought, crouching down in the bushes. Movement caught his eye and he saw Cheshire climbing onto the top of a truck with what looked suspiciously like an RPG. He pulled an arrow out of his quiver, then nocked it. He carefully pulled the bowstring back and placed the arrow over the top of the bushes. Taking a breath, he fired. The arrow hit Cheshire’s weapon just as she pulled the trigger, sending explosive, spiraling into the air where it exploded. 

People were screaming and security guards moved quickly to get Prime Minister Tseng into the building. He could hear guns cocking all around him. People were running everywhere, but Cheshire’s mask made her stand out. She jumped off the truck and ran towards the prime minister. Two security guards tried to stop her, but she almost intently knocked the first one unconscious and then threw the second one on the ground. A third security guard came up behind hind her and wrapped his arms around her to pin her arms. Two more ran at them, but she kicked them both in the head, then got free of the man holding her and threw him on the ground too. Cheshire pulled out her sai and kept running. A few guards shot at her, but all their shots missed. 

Arsenal nocked another arrow and shot it at her. It deployed a net that she cut away easily with her sai. The archer was right behind his arrow and he tackled her to the ground. Cheshire landed on top, but it was a long enough delay that several soldiers with very large guns surrounded them. One of them said something in Rhelasian, but both Cheshire and Arsenal were able to guess what it was. The assassin put her hands u, still straddling the archer. She looked at Arsenal the whole time police officers handcuffed her. 

‘I swear she’s smirking,’ Arsenal thought. Somewhere in the background, he could heart Cat Grant babbling on about…the arbitrator. ‘Right, the guy I’m supposed to keep alive.’ They pulled Cheshire off him and he stood up, then turned his head to see the arbitrator stepping out of his car. “Lex Luthor…” The second worst billionaire in the world, in Arsenal’s mind at least, looked around and spotted the archer. His face contorted for a moment before going back to its cool, composed self. ‘Did he just look….concerned?’ He hadn’t known concern was an emotion Lex Luthor was capable of. 

“Sir,” one of the police officer’s said, grabbing his arm. “You need to come with me-”

Arsenal’s body had stiffened the instant someone grabbed him. He looked at the police officer, breaking his hold easily. “Don’t touch me.”

“But I need to question-“

“Then do it without touching me.”

“Is there a problem here?” Luthor asked as he walked over. “As I understand it, officer, this young man just saved my life and the peace talks.”

“Yes, but he’s unidentified, Mr. Luthor-“

“I was sent here by the Justice League,” Arsenal explained. “I’m Arsenal. They sent me to stop Cheshire.”

“How can we be sure though-“ The cop stopped when Luthor held his hand up. 

“I understand your hesitation.” He nodded to Mercy, who stepped away and pulled out her phone. Vaguely, Arsenal wondered who the heck she was calling, but then decided he had better things to worry about. He looked at the cop car, where Cheshire was looking very relaxed for someone who’d just failed to assassinate someone. From the corner of his eye, he could see Mercy closing her phone and returning, nodding to her boss. “See, we have confirmation. This is one of Batman’s friends.”

“Whoever he is, he must be questioned,” the officer insisted. 

“Lex Luthor vouches for him, Captain. Release the sidekick.”

‘I’m getting help from Luthor, Nope, this is not happening,’ Arsenal thought. Never again. “I don’t need a favor from you.” 

“My apologies. I didn’t realize you wished to join the young lady behind bars.” As he talked Arsenal walked away from the police. He turned and looked the man in the eyes.

“You may have everyone here fooled Luthor, but I know what you are.”

“Ohhh….I don’t pretend to be an angel.” He stepped away, completely unconcerned. “It just so happened that this time, I’m on the side of the angels.”

“Arsenal,” Aqualad’s voice said in his comm. “Update?”

“Cheshire is in police custody,” he replied quietly. “The arbitrator is Lex Luthor. I’m sticking close, for now, to get some more information before I go try to interrogate Cheshire.”

“Understood.”

Arsenal entered the building a few steps behind Luthor. Through the crowds of reporters, and Cat Grant unhelpfully narrating the situation, he could see the two leaders surrounded by men. 

“Hiring the assassins’ league?!” Prime Minister Tseng decried. “Have you no one among your own troops to do the North’s dirty work?!”

“I need no assassin, Tseng!” General Mahn Li said in his own defense. “She has the method of a southern coward!” They resumed shouting at each other in their native language. 

“Tensions are running high,” Cat Grant said to her camera, “and troops are massing on the border between the two countries. Right now Lex Luthor seems to be the best, or only hope for peace.”

Arsenal had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. “Why should any side trust you?” he asked. 

“Because,” Luthor smiled, “Lex Corp is a company found as a peace enterprise for all humanity.”

“Cut the act, Luthor.” His faux kindness was really getting on the archer’s nerves and under his skin. “I’ve got intel linking Lex Corp shell companies to the sale of weapons in both Rhelasias.” Technically it was Batman’s intel, but that didn’t matter to him at the moment. “You’re profiting off this war. So what’s your angle?”

Luthor never stopped smiling as he approached the archer. “War income is pocket change compared to the billions to be made in investing in a peaceful, united Rhelasia. Isn’t it better to have peace? Even if that scoundrel Lex Luthor profit from it?” HIs tone was simultaneously making Arsenal’s skin crawl and making him want to hide. 

‘No, you have a job to do,’ he reminded himself silently. “That scoundrel may not survive to profit. Cheshire failed, but the League of Assassins will keep sending people until the contract is fulfilled.”

“It does beg the question…who hired the League?”

“….And were you really the target? Or was your death just a convenient way to sabotage the summit?”

“Allow me to hire you to find out.”

“No. Your money has blood on it. Besides, the Justice League sent me to protect you and that’s what I’m going to do and why I’m going to do it.”

Luthor laughed, actually laughed at him, once again making Arsenal’s skin crawl. “You’ll provide your services, but for free?” Luthor put his hand on the archer's shoulder. Arsenal flinched and speed back quickly. “I can live with that, hero. Now, excuse me, I have a hemisphere to save.” Luthor walked away and up the steps to the landing where the two leaders were. “Gentlemen, gentlemen, shall we attempt some smiles for the cameras?”

Arsenal sighed and turned to leave. “Aqualad,” he said into his comm as he left. 

“Arsenal,” Aqualad replied. 

“I’m leaving to go question, Cheshire.”

“Have you figured out why Luthor is there?”

“He’s a creep?”

“What did he say to you?”

“Just that he intends to profit no matter what. People are suffering and it’s all just….dollars to him.”

“It is despicable.”

“And yet he’s only the second most despicable billionaire on the planet.”

Kaldur blinked, then frowned. “Arsenal-“

“I’ll let you know if I get anything from Cheshire. Arsenal out.” He got a small knot of guilt over being short with Aqualad, but he knew he couldn’t focus on it. ‘I just need to keep Luthor safe so I can go home.’ He headed away from the summit, unaware there was someone watching him from a perch high above. 

— — 

The police were surprisingly helpful in letting him in to see Cheshire. Maybe one good thing came from having Luthor vouch for him. He walked into the small room, which contained one sell, and soon there. He crossed his arms and stayed completely silent. Cheshire regarded him for a moment; seemingly amused. 

“Aren’t you going to ask me anything?” she asked as she…stretched apparently, moving with deliberate slowness in her movements. 

“I think you know what I’m after,” Arsenal replied.

“I do actually. You.”

‘What?!’ Ansel thought. He took a step back and crossed his arms. “Who hired you?”

“Shadows?”

“Who hired them?”

“I don’t ask.” She winked at him. 

“’What’s the end game? The peace summit, or Luthor himself?”

“Two birds…” she stopped and faced him through the bars. “one stone. Hey, where are your little sidekick friends? They’re fun to play with. Especially, Ar-chery girl. I like her.”

‘What is it with Artemis and Cheshire?’ Arsenal took a breath. “I don’t know. Maybe they aren’t in my league.”

“And you think you’re in mine?” She reached through the bars and brushed her fingertips on his suit. In doing so, she was able to snag the front of his harness. Catching him off guard, she dragged him forward so the only thing between them was the thin metal bars. “Where are your little friends when you need them?” From this close distance he could smell a distinct, flowery odor from her that wasn’t unpleasant. Really not unpleasant. Arsenal swallowed and tried to ignore how being so close to her made his heart pound. Or this weird feeling in his-

Cheshire ducked down and Arsenal took a step back at the same time the back wall exploded. The archer stayed down for a moment, but he looked up in time to see her climbing down a rope. He leaped to his feet and grabbed the bars in frustration. ‘No! She got away!’ All nice sensations now gone, he started running for the roof. The alarm blaring wasn’t mixing well with the ringing in his ear from the explosion. By the time he reached the roof though, both sounds were gone. From here he could see Cheshire and a man running across the rooftops. Gritting his teeth, Arsenal pulled out a grapple arrow and shot it at a far building. He hooked his bow on and slid down it. When he was level with Cheshire he looked over at her and she noticed him. 

“You know, I admire persistence but…” She yelled right before throwing a shirking, which cut his line. Arsenal fell but landed on his feet. He kept running though. Head of him, Cheshire and the man got into a helicopter, which quickly took off. It was in the air by the time he reached that building, but that didn’t stop him. Determined not to let her get away, he shot another grapple arrow at the helicopter and held tight as it jerked him off the ground. A spike of fear went through him when he realized how he was dangling very, very far off the ground. So he looked up, just in time to see Cheshire say something, her words drowned out by the blades of the chopper, and then cut his line. Arsenal’s stomach leaped into his throat as he started falling. Thinking fast, he took out a foam arrow and shot it at the rooftop he was hopefully landing on. The foam was activated and it distributed in time to catch him. 

‘This mission is not going well,’ he thought. ‘I have to make it successful though. I can’t afford to mess up. Not this close to my birthday.’ He pulled out a device from one of his pouches and turned it on. ‘Thankfully that arrowhead has a tracker on it.’ 

— — 

Following the chopper wasn’t an easy task. However, it did spike Arsenal’s interest when he found himself on a small island with only a building with a wall surrounding a yard. He silently lowered himself onto the roof, then took out his binoculars. 

“Because we’re on a mission I won’t kill you, at least not while we’re on the job,” Cheshire said to her rescuer. 

“You wouldn’t have this job if not for me,” the man replied. “Grow up already.”

“The evening’s agenda was to create strife between nations,” said a new, very familiar voice. “Not my assassins.”

‘Ra’s!’ Arsenal thought. ‘Figures he’s behind this.’ And Alfred was apparently right about that “temporary death” of his. 

“Master,” Cheshire greeted. 

“Client, so twice disappointed in your failure. Luthor has been a thorn in my side for too long. Peaceful countries rarely call upon the League of Shadows. So I expect better outcomes and less interference from- Archer Boy.” Ra’s looked directly at Arsenal; causing the other two assassins to spot him as well. 

“Perfect,” Arsenal muttered. 

“Take care of him,” Ra’s whispered. “But remember, he is not to be seriously harmed or killed.”

Unaware of the conversation, Arsenal shot an arrow as he jumped onto another roof. Unfortunately, the arrow missed and Cheshire took out her sai. There embrue arrows were sent her away, but she avoided all of them as she climbed up to the roof. She ran at him, then cut two more arrows out of her way. She swiped at him, forcing him back. He shot another arrow, but she ducked and it merely cut her hair. He wen tin to punch her, but Cheshire kneed him in the stomach He tried to hit her with his bow, but she ducky dude wit and kick him in the chest. Arsenal fell back a few steps but came at her again. Unfortunately, her rescuer showed up, in the air, and threw a discus at Arsenal. He tried to block it with his bow, but the force shattered it. He stumbled backward, then looked back at the long drop down to the water. ‘Should I jump-‘ 

The choice was made for him when Cheshire’s companion threw a javelin at him. Arsenal jumped into the water just as it exploded behind him. He hit the water and needed a second to regain his bearings. Then he realized he was underwater. He kicked to the surface and sucked in a deep breath. A glance up at the wall told him that the assassins were gone. ‘Oh no…’ He looked around. There was nothing for him to hold onto. ‘Oh-‘ A movement in the water made him freeze. ‘If that’s a shark…’ He frowned when a head popped out of the water. “Aqualad?”

“Arsenal,” Aqualad said in greeting as he swam closer. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I thought the mission was facing many difficulties, so I came to help. May I-?”

“Please, go ahead.” Aqualad wrapped an arm around Arsenal’s chest to hold him above the water. “Weren’t you told to stay at Mount Justice?”

“Yes, I believe this means I am disobeying direct orders.”

“For me?”

“….For the mission.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re here.” On the swim back, how Aqualad could swim whit one arm while carrying Arsenal the archer really couldn’t figure out, he explained the situation. By the time they reached the shore, his friend was caught up. 

“So, what am I hearing,” Aqualad said as Arsenal hauled himself, “is that you are possibly in over your head.”

“Possibly.” Arsenal sat on the store and sighed. “So, you’re here to help?”

“Here to help.”

“Good.” Arsenal smiled at him, vaguely noticing how Aqualad’s hand on his knee was giving him the same tingly feeling Cheshire had. ‘What’s going on?’ he pulled away and stood up. “We-we need to get moving.”

“Where to?” Aqualad asked as he pulled himself out of the water. 

“Save Lex Luthor’s life.”

— — 

“The League of Assassins wants you dead,” Arsenal said to Luthor, arms crossed. 

“Doesn’t every League?” Luthor asked, obviously disinterested. 

“It’s not just Cheshire. It’s Sportsmaster, and Ra’s al Ghul himself.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised.” Mercy helped him put on his jacket. “Ra’s is something of a…competitor of mine.” 

“Maybe I should just let you take each other out.”

“Your stab at pragmatism is adorable, but we both know you won’t do that, hero. We’ll just increase security.”

“When they arrive, I’ll have a surprise for them.”

Later, Arsenal was standing behind the table where Luthor, Tseng, Mahn Li, and other dignitaries sat. He could see Aqualad standing in the crowd in front of the table. His eyes scanned the crowd again, looking for anything suspicious. Little did he know, hidden far above his head, up in the rafters of the building, another archer was perched, who was supposed to be watching the crowd but was instead watching Arsenal. So far these peace talks weren’t going great. 

“The idea of reunification is unthinkable!” General Mahn Li yelled. 

“Our people no longer have anything in common!” Prime Minister Tseng agreed. 

‘Ironically, the only thing they agree on,’ Arsenal thought, eyes scanning the room again. 

“Gentlemen,” Luthor interrupted, “this is mere rhetoric. Despite your differences, you still share an admiration for many things. Such as…the art of the Rhelasian tea ceremony.” A woman started coming through the crowd, pushing a cart with tea supplies on it. 

Aqualad stopped her and took out a water bearer. “That is far enough, Cheshire,” he said as he did. Arsenal held his bow in a ready position and put his hand to his quiver. Cheshire smiled and pushed a button on the handle of the cart, then pushed it forward. Aqualad’s eyes widened and he raised his water bearers at the same time Arsenal fired an arrow. The people at the table gasped in shock as the water rose out of their cups. The arrow hit the cart and blew it up and in the same moment Aqualad created a barrier of water to protect against the explosion. The force of the explosion pushed back against his barrier, but he held his arms up. His arms shook with strain. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like minutes. When the explosion was finally gone he let his barrier fall with a sigh of relief, sweat dripping on his face. 

When the smoke cleared, they saw Cheshire laying unconscious on the floor. She started to get up though, so Arsenal jumped down and joined Aqualad, who ripped off the jacket he’d been wearing to cover his suit. “It's over, Cheshire,” the archer said. 

“You would think so,” she smiled. The two heroes hesitated, wondering what she meant. The answer came a second later when a helicopter flew up, revealing Sportsmaster and a group of assassins. The assassins jumped into the room and Cheshire pulled out her sai. 

“You take Sportsmaster. Cheshire’s mine.” Arsenal nocked an arrow to his bow. 

“Hmm, so territorial and only our third date.” 

Arsenal shot his arrow, trying not to make a face at how uncomfortable her words made him. Worry spiked in his mind for a moment and he glanced at Aqualad, then re-focused on his opponent. ‘What am I doing?! Focus!’ 

Aqualad saw Sportsmaster take out 5 guys at once, but didn’t hesitate before swinging a water mace at him. His opponent ducked, but the Atlantean spun on his heel and swung it at him again. Sportsmaster knocked aside with his own weapon though. Meanwhile, Arsenal shot two arrows at Cheshire, but she knocked them out of the air and cartwheeled backward. 

“Aww, you called one of your little sidekick friends. But didn’t you say they were;t on your League?” she smiled as she attacked him again. It was enough to momentarily distract Aqualad, causing Sportsmaster to ram into him. Aqualad fell to the floor and his water maces fell apart. 

“Aqualad!” Arsenal shot an arrow at Sportsmster, who sidestepped it. Cheshire pulled his attention away and he had to start firing at her instead. He stepped back as she swung a sai at him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sportsmaster swinging a metal, heavy mace down on his friend. Worry shot through him, but his attention was again taken by Cheshire, who threw one of her sai at his face. 

Back at the table, Luthor watched the fight. He glanced up at the rafters and frowned. ‘You’re not supposed to have any arrows out, put them away.’ 

Above everyone’s heads, Green Arrow’s arrowhead followed Arsenal through every flip, every bad step, every move he made. ‘I could do it,’ he thought as he trailed the younger archer’s moves. ‘I could do it. Batman’s not here to protect him. One arrow is all it takes and I could drop him.’ He could practically feel Luthor watching him. He glanced down and the billionaire gave his head the smallest shake. Green Arrow sighed and relaxed his bow, then put the arrow away in his quiver. ‘Not yet.’ His eyes narrowed as he watched Arsenal duck under a punch from Chesire and slam his bow into her stomach. ‘You won’t be able to avoid me forever, kid.’

Down below, Aqualad was back on his feet and made two swords with his water bearers. “Not bad Lad,” Sportsmaster said. “Better than your little Team did in Santa Prisca or Bialya.”

Aqualad blinked and frowned. “How did you-“

‘Let’s just say I have an inside source. Very inside.” 

Behind them, Arsenal had backed up to get a better bearing of the situation. He glanced up and saw a sprinkler. An idea formed in his head. “Aqualad, let’s end this!” He shot a small, scale explosion arrow at the sprinkler. This set them all off, drenching the entire place in water. Aqualad almost smiled and raise dishwater bearers. The water swirled in a small vortex in front of him. Within seconds it became an eel, that snaked its way to Sportsmaster. One of the remaining assassins got in its way and the glowing eel simply knocked him aside. It advanced on Sportsmaster, but Cheshire dropped in and threw a smoke bomb into its mouth. Arsenal and Aqualad covered their faces briefly as smoke surrounded them. They coughed, unable to see. Out of the smoke, jumped a shadow, who went right for Luthor. Arsenal saw just a second too late and reached for his quiver.

“Mercy,” Luthor said calmly. Before either of the heroes could do or say anything, she lifted her arm and it turned into a gun. She shot the shadow, knowing him out of the air. He hit the ground with a thud! and a grunt. Arsenal and Aqualad turned back to Sportsmaster and Cheshire, but they were gone. They both sighed and relaxed their weapons, then looked back at those they’d been protecting. The Rhelasian leaders were staring at Mercy in shock. “Gives no meaning to the arms race, doesn’t she?” Luthor joked as her arm went back to normal, once again concealing the gun. 

“That technology is most impressive, sir,” General Mahn Li said as he and Prime Minister Tseng stepped forward to shake Luthor’s hand. 

“We owe you our lives, sir,” the Prime Minister added. 

Arsenal looked at Aqualad in disbelief. “They owe him their lives?” he asked. 

“….I suppose?” Aqualad shrugged. “We just helped.” 

“Guess so.”

“Gentlemen, why don’t we move downstairs, so we can sign those treaties,” Luthor suggested. To the surprised of Arsenal and Aqualad, both leaders nodded. Less than an hour later, they watched as the peace treaties were signed. 

“I can’t believe we just did a solid for Lex Luthor,” Arsenal said as he and Aqualad walked out. 

“Not for Luthor,” Aqualad reminded him gently. “For peace. And beyond that, Ra’s and Cheshire wanted to sabotage the summit. The signing of the treaties renders their contract moot. It’s over.”

“Is it?” Aqualad looked at him. Arsenal swallowed and lowered his voice. “Something Sportsmaster said surprised you. What was it?’

Aqualad hesitated. ‘If I tell him, he will not be able to keep it a secret from Batman and Robin; and I must keep this a secret. I cannot allow the unit to come undone because of baseless allegations or tip the mole off. And….this would terrify him. He cannot trust people as it is if I tell him there might be someone feeding our enemies information… Not to mention he could have a panic attack right here if I tell him. No, I cannot tell him.’ He took a deep breath. “It was nothing,” he lied. “Nothing at all. Just….shadows.”

“Oh…ok.”

“Besides, what about what Cheshire said? About the rest of us not being in your League?”

“I just said that to get her talking. You know…interrogation.”

“Mhm.”

“Really, honest.”

“I jest, my friend. I know you did not mean it.”

“Good because, you’ll always be in my league, Kal.”

Aqualad smiled. “I am glad for that. Now, shall we return home?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

“And we must have another swim lesson soon.”

“No drowning?”

“No drowning.”

“Good. I wouldn’t like that.” As they walked he took several deep breaths. ‘I completed the mission,’ he told himself silently. ‘The mission was a success. I’m still safe for now. Another reason for him not to get rid of me. I’ll be safe for now.’

— — 

Up in the hotel, Luthor was pouring three drinks. “That went well,” he remarked. “Both Li and Tseng were impressed with Mercy’s….equipment. They’re quite literally buying into the peace. Our plan to ensure the eventual reunification of Rhelasia, under Lex Corp’s political guidance, is a success.” He handed the other drink to Ra’s, then one to Oliver. “Don’t look so upset, Oliver.”

“I had him,” Oliver practically growled. “I had him in my crosshairs-“

“Patience, Archer,” Ra’s intoned. “Patience. Your time will come, as will his.”

“Yes,” Luthor agreed. “You still have an important role to play in all of this. The intel you’re gathering is very useful.”

“It is,” Ra’s agreed. “So stay calm, and remember, this will all be worth it eventually.”

“Then I can kill him?”

“That’d be such a waste of talent. I’d find it much better if we could use some….means of making him understand the usefulness of your methods.”

“As long as the League loses.”

“All of this talk about the future, gentlemen,” Luthor sighed. “Let’s just enjoy this victory.”

“Yes,” Ra’s agreed, raising his glass. Oliver and Luthor followed suit. “Another corner of the world sees the light.”

— — 

When Arsenal got back to the Bat-Cave, he put his weapons away and got changed. When he walked out in comfortable sweats, he found Bruce sitting at the computer. Bruce turned to look at him. “How’d it go?” he asked. 

“Cheshire got away, but the treaty was signed and Luthor is still alive.”

“Good.” He waited for Roy to do something, but the teen just stood there awkwardly. “Is something wrong?”

“Uh…I-I don’t know…” Roy wasn’t sure why he was still standing there, but when thinking about Cheshire’s first escape, he’d remembered the pleasant feeling and how confused it had made him feel. 

“What’s going on, Roy?” Bruce turned so he could give the teen his full attention. 

“Um…ok…so, um…when-when Cheshire was arrested and I went to see her, she was…playing with me or…something. Anyways, she smelled really nice like, flowery and I didn’t..hate it? So then my heartbeat got faster and I got this…pleasant and tingly feeling and…I don’t know, maybe she drugged me or-or something.”

Bruce smiled. He smiled because he thought Roy was joking. ‘He must be joking. I’m not mad, hell I’m hardly one to judge, but this is just….biology. I can’t be mad.’ He genuinely thought Roy was joking… Until he registered the genuinely confused look on Roy’s face. ‘Oh god, please tell me he’s joking.’ Bruce cleared his throat awkwardly. “Roy…do you….” He sighed. “Sit down.”

“Why?”

“Just sit.” Roy sat down on the cave floor in front of Bruce. “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer me seriously. No jokes or sarcasm, or anything. Give me a straight answer. Got it?”

“Yes, Bruce.”

“Ok.” Bruce hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Do you know what sex is?”

Roy frowned. “Well….I know that rape is sex without consent-“

“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean consensual sex.”

“Then…no?”

“What do you think it is?”

Roy thought about it for a moment. “Sex is something adults do.”

Bruce needed a moment to process that was an answer he’d just gotten from someone who would be 18 in less than two weeks. “Ok…. Have you ever had a sex ed class?”

“Um…I don’t think so. I-I think we were supposed to learn that in 7th grade, but I-“

“You left school in the 6th.” Well…this was awkward. ‘How did I not realize this? How could it possibly have…oh geez. It makes sense I guess. I never let him and Robin near the details of rape crime, I usually send them to “canvas” the neighborhood or alert the police. He hasn’t spent any time around people his own age for long periods of time since before puberty. Its no wonder he’s….experiencing…this…and without ever having been in a sex ed class- I doubt his adopted father would have given him this talk when he was 12 or younger and Oliver certainly wouldn’t have…’ Looked like the baton had fallen to Bruce. He sighed. “Ok, Roy, I need to have a talk with you.”

“….About sex?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because this is definitely something you can’t go through your life without knowing.”

“Oh ok.”

Bruce sighed again and rubbed his face tiredly. “Ok then.” He nodded to himself. ‘Ok…where in the world do I even begin?’


	18. Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! I hope you enjoy!

Very carefully, Roy took another deep breath as he stood outside Bruce’s study. 

“So…” Dick asked casually. “Are you going in?” 

“Yeah…” Roy replied quietly. “Of course. I am. I’m just….preparing.”

“Preparing?”

“Yeah.”

“Roy, it’ll only get harder the longer you wait.” Dick smiled at him and pat him on the back. “You can do it. Just go in there and ask him.” 

Roy nodded and took a deep breath. ‘Dinah thinks this is a good idea,’ he told himself. ‘She thinks this is a good idea. She says I need to spend more time with Kaldur outside of superhero stuff. So does Dick. He thinks I need to get out more.’ Roy nodded to himself again. ‘I can do this. I can do this.’ He knocked on the door before he could lose his nerve. 

“Come in,” Bruce said. 

Roy slowly opened the door and forced himself to walk in. “Um….Bruce?”

“Yes?” Bruce looked up at him and Roy had to physically force himself not to rub his arms. 

“Um…I-I was wondering if….if….”

“If?”

Roy swallowed. “I was wondering if I could go out. With Kaldur.”

“You want to go out….with Kaldur?”

“Yeah, you know…..out….” He gestured vaguely. “into Gotham.”

“You want to go out into the city?” Bruce frowned in confusion. “Roy-“

“Not to wander around or anything! I can go to….the mall.”

“You want to go to the mall?”

“…..Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because…I want to do normal stuff. Kal is my friend and I want to do normal teenage things with him. Away from superhero stuff.”

“Roy-“

“Please? I’ll be really careful, and Kal will be there watching my back!”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“But, I-I really want to-“

“Roy-“

“Please, Bruce?”

“Damn it, Roy! I said no!” Roy flinched and stepped back when Bruce raised his voice. His whole demeanor changed as his shoulders dropped and he wrapped his arms around himself. 

“I-I’m sorry.” Before Bruce could say anything else, Roy turned and practically ran out of the room. As he left Bruce got a glimpse of Dick hanging around the open door. The teen gave him an angry look before running after Roy. Bruce sighed and set his pen down to rub his eyes. 

“Having a rough day, sir?” Alfred asked as he approached, carrying a cup of coffee for Bruce. Bruce didn’t answer and simply accepted the coffee. Alfred hesitated for a moment, before saying, “You know sir, he doesn’t ask you for a lot.”

Bruce sighed and set his cup down with some force. “Really? I’m trying to keep him safe and that somehow makes me the bad guy?”

“Sir, you are the Batman. If you really wanted to give him some freedom, you find a way to make it happen.”

Bruce sighed again. ‘Alfred is right though. Roy almost never asks me for anything. Hell, only last year I was able to convince him it’s ok to ask for a new pair of shoes.’ He rubbed his eyes. ‘How long did it take him to work up the courage to ask me that, and I just snapped at him instead of listening.’ He realized Alfred was looking at him and took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll….consider it.”

“Will you?”

“Yes. I will seriously consider it.” 

“Very good, sir.” 

Meanwhile, upstairs, Dick was trying to talk Roy out from under his bed. “Come on, Roy,” he said coaxingly. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”

‘Dick doesn’t understand,’ Roy thought miserably as he buried his head in his arms. ‘He doesn’t have to worry about Bruce kicking him out. He doesn’t need to be careful.’ It wasn’t Dick’s fault he didn’t understand, and Roy was ok with that. He didn’t want his little brother to be in this kind of situation. ‘I shouldn’t have asked. I shouldn’t have asked.’ 

‘You should just be happy with what you have,’ a voice in his head scolded him. ‘You have it so good here. No hitting, no insults, no starving. What’s the matter with you?! Just be happy with what you have right now. Stop looking for better, because it won’t get better than this.’

Roy nodded to himself internally. ‘This is as good as it gets,’ he told himself silently. ‘This is as good as it gets. This is as good as it gets.’ 

It was slightly concerning to Dick that Roy wasn’t saying anything, or moving. He looked around, hoping there might be something in the room he could use to calm the older teen down. On Roy’s desk, he spotted a book that looked like it had been read recently. Dick ran over to the desk and picked it up. ‘Hm…re-reading Harry Potter again, bro?’ Not having anything else to use, Dick laid himself down next to the bed and opened the book on the floor in front of him. “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number 4 Privet Drive were proud to say they were perfectly ordinary, thank you very much…” 

Roy was silent as Dick read to him. He tried to focus on the story instead of his frayed nerves. By the time Harry was visiting Diagon Alley for the first time, he felt like he at least had a pretty good grip on his anxiety. It was still there, but it felt as if it had been dialed down enough that he wouldn’t hyperventilate or anything serious. Dick kept reading and was halfway through the book when Alfred came to get them for dinner. Thankfully, Roy didn’t need to be coaxed to come out for that. He seemed to relax a little bit more when they discovered Bruce wasn’t joining them. 

“We should have a movie marathon this weekend,” Dick said as he twirled spaghetti on his fork. “What’d you think, hm?” Roy nodded, slowly chewing on a single strand of spaghetti. “Or…next weekend since….you know, we’re busy this weekend.” Roy nodded again. “Not that talkative tonight, bro?”

“Not really…” Roy mumbled. 

“Ah, finally, he speaks.”

“Stop it, Dick.”

“Come on, Roy. Everything is fine. You’re fine, I’m fine.”

‘He doesn’t understand,’ Roy thought miserably as he twirled another solitary noodle and slowly chewed on. ‘He won’t understand. It’s not his fault. He just…wocan't.’ They finished eating and went downstairs to the Bat Cave. Bruce was already dressed in his bat suit with the cowl down, so they trooped off to get changed themselves. ‘Just stay focused on patrol,’ Roy told himself silently as he got dressed. ‘Just focus on patrol.’

— — 

After a mostly silent, but pretty average patrol, Roy took some extra time to put his equipment away before he went upstairs. He showered in his bathroom, then picked up his book, planning on reading from were Dick had left off, when Bruce knocked on his door. “C-come in,” he said. 

Bruce came in and Roy seemed to physically pull away from him. “It’s ok, Roy,” he said. 

“I’m sorry…” Roy whispered. 

“Sit down.” Bruce was half afraid the teen would pass out or something. Roy sat down on his bed and Bruce stood by the footboard. “I thought about it and….you can go into the city.”

Roy blinked. “I-I can?”

“Yes, but there are several conditions to this. One: I will choose where you go. You and Kaldur can go to a mall that I choose, for three hours, and you will not step foot outside it. Two: I will give you a phone, and you will use it text me every hour for the three hours you’re gone. Three: Kaldur only goes if Aquaman also agrees. Four: You will wear your sunglasses to obscure your identity. Five: You and Kaldur will also carry comms in case you need them. Those are the conditions. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” 

‘He didn’t even think about it,’ Bruce observed. That concerned him a little bit, but the hopeful and pleased look on Roy’s face made him let it go. “I won’t budge on these conditions, Roy.”

“But I can go? I can really leave the manor and go do something, normal people, my age would normally do?”

“Yes.” The teen’s face lit up. 

“Thank you, Bruce! I want to tell Kal.”

“Ok.” The worry and reluctance Bruce felt to let him go was still there, but it was dimmed a little bit seeing how excited it made Roy. 

Roy grabbed his IM device and sent a quick message: Kal got a question for you.

— — 

That weekend, Roy was practically bouncing around his room. Dick and Wally watched him with equal smiles that were almost smirks. “Might want to be careful,” Wally advised him. “You might explode.”

“Let him be excited,” Dick replied. “He needs this.” 

Wally leaned in so he could whisper in Dick’s ear. “They both do.” The boys shared a knowing look, which Roy missed because he was looking for his favorite shirt. 

“Dick, did you take my shirt? The Gryffindor one?”

“Here’s some advice, normal teenage boys don’t worry so much about what they’re going to wear.”

“Hey,” Dick said as he got off the bed. “This is a…special….day, Wally. He and Kaldur are going to the mall. Alone. Just the two of them. Roy just wants to wear his favorite shirt so he’ll look nice.” 

“…..I guess that makes sense then. Ignore me, Roy. I’m just trying to rain on your parade.” 

Dick found the shirt in Roy’s dresser and threw it at him. “Get dressed. Kaldur will be here soon.”

“Right.” Roy put his shirt on, then grabbed his gloves off his desk. “What’re you two doing today?”

“Playing this video game my uncle got me,” Wally replied, holding the game aloft like it was buried treasure they’d found. “Three hours of shooting zombies in half-destroyed cities!”

“The undead bring you two way too much joy.” 

There was a knock on the door and Alfred entered, even though it was already open. “Master Roy, your friend is here.” 

“Kal!” Roy had to resist the urge to run from the room, just remembering Alfred’s rules about using proper indoor speeds. The butler noticed the smiles Dick and Wally shared as Roy left; causing him to give them a quizzical look. 

“Nothing, Alf,” Dick said. “It’s nothing.”

“Mhm,” Alfred simply hummed. He followed Roy down to the Bat Cave, where Kaldur was waiting, having been retrieved from Mount Justice by Bruce. The Atlantean’s face lit up when he saw Roy. He was wearing a long-sleeve turtleneck that skillfully hid his tattoos and gills, as well as fingerless gloves that expertly hid the webbing on his fingers. It actually made Roy a little sad, because he liked Kaldur’s gills and webbed fingers.

“Here, Roy,” Bruce said, handing the teen a comm and a phone. Roy put the comm in his jeans pocket and studied the cell. 

‘I’ve never had one of these before,’ he thought, before stowing it in his other pocket. 

“Kaldur’ahm, have the conditions been explained to you?”

“Yes,” Kaldur nodded. “King Orin explained them.”

“Good. Do not leave his side at all. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Have fun then.”

“This way, gentlemen,” Alfred said, gesturing to the stairs leading to the Manor. “And we shall leave.”

“You are very excited,” Kaldur noted as he followed Roy up the stars. 

“I’m so excited,” Roy replied. “I-I want to do stuff kind this. I want to be a normal teenager and do normal teenage things.”

“I am afraid I do not know a lot about normal surface teenagers.”

“Neither do I, Kal. Goes that’s why we fit so well. We can be abnormal together.” 

“That is one way to think of it, yes.”

“But once in a while, it’s ok to be normal. To be….not superheroes or vigilantes. Just….Roy and Kaldur.”

“Expect we cannot tell anyone who we are.”

“No, but you know what I mean.”

“I do.”

“You ready?” Roy took his hand and Kaldur smiled at him. 

“Let us venture to be normal.”

— — 

The mall was, in Roy’s opinion, very chaotic. There were a lot of people. And it was loud because the space was big and echoey with everyone talking at the same time. In general, there just seemed to be a lot going on….and Roy loved it. He was filled with an excitement he hadn’t felt in a long time. ‘I’m actually here around people,’ he thought, holding tight to Kaldur’s hand. ‘This is awesome!’ He looked at Kladur, who smiled at seeing Roy so excited. “Where should we go first?”

“It is up to you, my friend,” Kaldur replied. 

“Let’s wander I guess.” They started off and came across a bookstore first. Roy couldn’t stop grinning as he looked at all of them. 

“There are many books.” Roy looked at Kaldur, who looked fascinated by the bright covers in front of him. “Have you read any of these?”

Roy joined him and pointed. “This one is my favorite.”

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Sorcerer? Is it about magic?”

“It’s about that kid, Harry,” Roy pointed to the drawing on the cover, “he’s an orphan who lives with these abusive relatives, but then he finds out he’s a wizard. He gets taken to this awesome place called Hogwarts where he finds out he can do all this cool stuff, and he goes on adventures and makes friends, becomes a great hero.”

“Sounds intriguing.” 

“I can let you borrow my books. If you want to read them.”

“I think I would. You make them sound very entertaining.” They spent some more time in the bookstore, with Roy pointing out all his favorites to Kaldur. At one point, while uprising the children’s section, Roy found a book with Navajo myths. He promptly sat down on the floor to open it up. Kaldur sat next to him, looking over this shoulder. “Are you familiar with these stories?”

“Yeah. Brave Bow, my adopted dad, he used to tell me some of them when I was a kid and he was sick of reading Robin Hood to me every single night.” He didn’t say anything for a minute, then stood up and put the book back on the shelf. “Ready?”

“Let us go.” They held hands again as they continued down the mall. They soon came across a pet store and wandered in there was well. Kaldur was drawn almost magnetically to the fish. 

“These are not like the fish I know,” he murmured quietly, peering questioningly at a tank full of goldfish. 

“Well….they’re not from the ocean. They’re pets. And freshwater, I believe.”

“Ah….freshwater dwellers. That explains it.”

“So you’re not….offended that people are keeping these fish as pets, or something like that?”

“No. They are very small, and would surely be eaten if they were in their natural habitats. I am sure the humans who adopt them will take good care of them and treat them well. They will lead much better lives this way.”

‘As good a life as you can as a goldfish I suppose,’ Roy thought as they wandered over to the reptiles. 

“Even the turtles are smaller…” Kaldur looked utterly fascinated by the turtles in their tanks. “Why are the all the sea creatures smaller on land?”

“Um….Kal, these aren’t sea turtles. They’re also freshwater animals. See?” Roy pointed to the sticker on the tank. 

“Ah.” Kaldur looked at the turtle. “Apologies, friend. I meant no offense. I am simply not familiar with a freshwater creature such as yourself.” 

Roy tried hard not to laugh. It was so endearing how he was fascinated by them. Next, they moved on to small, fluffier animals. “Look.” Roy pointed to a sign above one of the cages. “We can pet these ones.” He took off his left gloves and stuck his hand into the pen. A dark brown guinea pig slowly crawled over a sniffed it. Very carefully, Roy picked it up and cradled it against his chest. The guinea pig didn’t seem to mind as he simply wiggled his nose as he chilled against Roy. “Want to pet him?” 

Kaldur nodded and carefully stroked the animal. “It’s so soft…” He looked entranced as he ran his finger’s through the rodent’s silky soft fur. “We do not have animals this soft, back home.”

“He’s sniffing me.” Roy giggled as the rodent’s nose made it’s way up to his face, the tiny claws digging into his shirt. “I think he likes me.”

‘Of course, he would,’ Kaldur thought as Roy put the animal back in his cage. ‘Who would not like you?’ They wandered over to the kittens, some of which meowed and stood with their front paws pressed against the glass of their pen. “These are small cats….baby cats?”

“Kittens.”

“Kit-tens. Very cute.”

“They are.” Roy out his hand in and started petting some of them. Kaldur followed suit, once again looking spellbound by how soft the creatures at his fingertips were. It almost looked like it pained the Atlantean when they moved on to the puppies. 

“Baby dogs?”

“Puppies.”

“They are also cute.”

“I always wanted a dog when I was a kid.” 

“Oh?”

Roy nodded as he crouched outside the puppy pen, gently holding one end of a rope while a German shepherd puppy used all his tiny body weight to pull the other end. “I would promise to take good care of it and everything. Brave Bow always said we couldn’t afford one though.”

“Dogs cost a lot of money?”

“That’s what I hear.” He let go of the rope and the puppy stumbled back, then stood up and wage this tail happily; clearly pleased with his victory. Then the two teens stood up and Roy put his gloves back on as they wandered over to the bird cages. They didn’t stay long though, as this corner was very loud. All the birds were shrill and calling at once, so they left the pet store and kept walking. 

“There are many stores selling clothes,” Kaldur observed as they walked. 

“Yeah. Maybe we should go inside one.”

“That one?” Kaldur pointed at a random store, but Roy shook his head. 

“Everything in there is pink. I think that’s a store for girls.” As they passed he could see what they were selling and his cheeks got a little red. “Nope. Definitely not. Let’s definitely keep going.” Not long after that, they found a larger clothes store where there were pictures of teenagers modeling on the walls. They walked in and leisurely pursued the clothes. 

“This shirt is like yours.” Kaldur held up a shirt with the Gryffindor lion on it. 

Roy couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Well done, Kal.” They kept walking, with Roy trying not to stare at the other teens in the store who were modeling clothes for friends or family members. “This store is kind of boring. Think we should move on?” He didn’t get a response, so he looked back. “Kal?”

“Yes?” Kaldur’s head snapped back to look at Roy. 

“What’re you looking at?”

“Nothing, my friend. What did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted to leave this store and find another.”

“Oh, yes. Let us do that.” They left and soon found sporting good’s store. In here, it didn’t take Roy long to find the archery equipment. He stood there with his arms crossed, studying them with a critical eye. ‘I like the design of that one.’ He took the phone from his pocket, and carefully took a picture of one of the bows. ‘I can sketch it later so I don’t forget.’ He did this twice more, brain already going over small improvements here and there he could make to the bows, as well as the design elements he wanted to incorporate into his own. While he did this, Kaldur kept looking over his shoulder, occasionally half-turning to get a better look. Eventually, Roy seemed to have had his fill and they left that store. As they walked, he sent Bruce a text to let him know that he and Kaldur were alive and ok. Next, they went into a store that sold movies, music, and video games. 

‘Dick would love this place,’ Roy thought as he looked around at everything. He stepped forward to take a closer look at something, but then stopped when Kaldur put his hand on his shoulder. 

“I do not wish to alarm you,” he whispered. “But I have reason to believe we are being followed.” 

“Followed?” Roy took advantage of a nearby shiny surface to inspect the world behind them. 

“Two girls-“

“I see them.” Indeed, there were two girls about their age, peeking not so subtly at them over a rack of movies. “Why are they following us?”

“I do not know, but they have been since the clothes store.”

Roy turned to look at Kaldur, glancing at the girls from the corner of his eye. “What should we do?”

“I do not know what the surface protocol is, but back home we would usually wave.” That made Roy short and roll his eyes a little. 

“Brilliant suggestion, Kal.” Slowly, he turned to the girls and raised his hand in greeting. They smiled at each other and giggled, then made their way to the end of their aisle. “They’re coming over here. What do we do?”

“I would start with hello.”

“You’re a genius, you know that.”

“I try.” Roy was about to say something but stopped when the girls stopped in front of him. His brain stalled for a moment, so Kaldur took the lead. “Hello, ladies.”

“Hi,” one of the girls said. “I’m Vicki, and this is Hayley.” She gestured to her friend. 

Roy nodded. “I’m R- Ray-mond. My name is Raymond. And this is Kal…”

“Kalvin,” Kaldur supplied. “I’m Kalvin.”

“Nice to meet you guys,” Vicki said. 

“Are two like…together?” Hayley asked. 

“Uh…yeah,” Roy replied. ‘That should be obvious I mean we’re…standing here…together.’ If it was so obvious, then why did they look a little disappointed by the news?

“You guys want to come to hang with our friends?” 

“Uh…” Roy glanced at Kaldur, who shrugged a little in response. “Yeah. That-that’d be fun.”

“Follow us.” The two girls had them out of the story and through the mall. They approached a place where there was a large, circle area with long, curved couches around the edge. On one couch, a group of teens about their age were relaxing. Some at on the floor, some on the couch. A couple was sitting in each other’s laps even. One of the boys looked up as they got closer. 

“Hey Vick, Hay,” he said. “Who’re these guys?”

“This is Raymond and Kalvin,” Hayley replied, gesturing to the boys when she introduced them. “We ran into them and invited them to come to hang out.”

“The more the merrier.” A couple of the teen moved to make room for Roy and Kaldur in the middle of the group. They had to carefully climb over a couple of people, but soon they were sitting comfortably while surrounded by people. “I’m Logan, this is Jake.” He gestured to the guy whose lap he was sitting on. 

“Nice to meet you,” Kaldur said. 

“Same, dude,” Jake replied as Logan studied Roy for a moment. 

“You look familiar,” Logan said as he did. “Did we go to middle school together?”

“Uh…” Roy shook his head as his heart pounded. “N-no. I-I moved to Gotham after middle school.”

“Babe,” Jake said, tapping Logan’s head. “There was like….600 people in that middle school. How could you possibly remember him?”

“And he’s wearing shades, you can’t really see his face,” a girl who was sitting on the floor, braiding Hayley’s thick, black hair as she talked. She smiled at Roy. “Alexis.”

“Why are you wearing shades?” asked Logan. “You know we’re inside right?”

“I…have a concussion,” Roy lied. 

“What happened?”

“….Sports.”

“What kind?” another guy who was sitting on the floor asked. 

“Soccer.” Why that was the first sport that popped into his head, he didn’t know. 

Jake snorted. “How do you get a concussion playing soccer?” he asked. 

“Goalkeeper…I dove for the ball and hit my head off the side of the goal.”

“Ouch,” Alexis winced. “Sounds like you play rough.”

“I do.”

“What school do you play for?” Logan asked. 

“……Gotham North?”

Vicki giggled. “Is that a question?”

“His brain must still be scrambled from the concussion,” Logan joked as he leaned against Jake. “Gotham North, huh? My cousin goes there. Do you know Mitchell Ryan?”

“Uh, no, sorry. Big school,” Roy said carefully. 

“Eh, that’s ok. He’s kind of a tool anyways.” 

“What about you, Kalvin?” Alexis asked as she tied off the braid. “Do you play any sports?”

“He does,” Roy said quickly, coming to his friend’s aid. “He swims and plays baseball.”

“Cool.”

“Hey, Raymond, what’s with the gloves?” Jake asked. “You breaking in some new goalie gloves or something?”

“Yes…that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“Dedication. I like it.”

“Thanks.” Roy noticed how easy going everyone seemed to be with each other. They leaned on each other, held hands, and just seemed to enjoy being close. Logan and Jake especially. Trying to fit in, Roy leaned a bit more on Kaldur and held his friend’s hand. Kaldur’s breath caught in his throat a little bit at the sudden intimacy, but he didn’t complain. Instead, he slowly wrapped an arm around Roy, mentally sighing in relief and contentment when his friend didn’t object. No one seemed to really mind them as the conversations continued. 

“Eric plays baseball too, Kalvin,” Alexis said, pushing the head of the boy sitting between her legs, whose face was buried in a video game with headphones on. “He plays for Gotham East though.”

“And he’s slightly antisocial,” Hayley added. “He’s only here because we literally dragged him here.”

“His brother drags him to baseball, so I don’t see the difference.” 

“I do not have to be dragged,” Kaldur said, falling into his role almost easily. “I very much enjoy…baseball.”

“What position do you play?”

“……I catch the ball.”

“Catcher?”

“Yes! Exactly.”

Roy’s phone went off and he looked at it. It was a picture from Dick, of Wally’s avatar from their game lying under a pile of zombies, apparently eating him, with the caption: we lost but so worth it!! Roy rolled his eyes and reminded Dick the point of the game was teamwork. Logan noticed he was texting and nodded at him. “Who’s that?” he asked. 

“Uh….my-my younger brother.”

Logan snorted. “I feel you.”

“You…feel me?”

“I have younger siblings too. Pain in my ass day and night.”

“I-I get along with my brother. Not all the time, but most of the time.”

“You’ll have to tell me your secrets then.”

Roy didn’t really know how to respond to that. “It’s not perfect….he’s 13 so he can be a brat, but….he’s my little brother.”

“Awww,” Hayley and Vicki cooed. 

“That’s sweet,” Alexis smiled. She smacked Eric on the back of his head. “Why can’t you be that sweet?” The boy simply shrugged and turned back to his game. “I swear, he loves that game more than me.” Eric moved his hand from his game to the inside of her thigh. “Oh sure, that he hears.”

“Because boys have only one thing on their mind,” Alexis replied. She looked at the boys in the group, who all rolled their eyes, except for Roy, who just frowned in confusion. He looked at Kaldur, but his friend didn’t offer any insight. It made Roy feel very out of the loop. Like this was a joke he wasn’t in on. 

“Can you believe her, Ray?” Logan asked him.

“No,” Roy replied, very honestly. “I don’t.”

“Good man.”

“Besides,” Jake added, “we’re sending one of our last weekends before senior year hanging out in a mall with you losers. That should say something about what’s on our minds.”

“You just had to bring up the ’S’ word, dude?” Logan asked. “I thought we agreed not to do that for another month!”

“You’re aware school starts in a week, right?” Vicki asked. 

“Shhh!” 

“Do you guys start in a week?” Hayley asked Roy and Kaldur. 

“Yes,” they lied at the same time. 

“We’re…..not too excited about it…” Kaldur said. 

“I am,” Roy added, almost without thinking.

“Why?” Logan asked. 

“….Because….I just do. I like school. I mean, you might not realize how much you like it until you… don't go anymore.”

“Wow, normally I have to be high off my ass to get that deep.”

“Well some people have more than two brain cells to rub together,” Hayley replied. 

“Cold.”

Roy smiled and Hayley smiled at him. “Don’t feel too bad, Ray. I like school too. It’s not a bad thing.”

“I like that he is smart,” Kaldur added. 

“See? There are lots of benefits to being nerdy.”

“Bedews, I’m sure being so smart means you have a lot plans for the future,” Vicki said. 

“Uh…” Roy rubbed this hands on his pants. “Not really. I-I have no clue about…my future and it’s….terrifying.”

“Here, here,” Jake agreed. 

“Don’t we know it,” Logan nodded. 

“Wait…you guys feel that way too?” Roy asked cautiously. “You really do?”

“Absolutely,” Vicki agreed. “I mean…most people our age have no clue what the hell we want to do with our lives, don’t they?” Roy blinked. Did they? He’d always assumed he was missing something and behind people his age; assuming they knew where they were going and what they were doing with their lives. Apparently, this wasn’t so. He wasn’t the only 17, almost 18-year-old in Gotham who didn’t know what his future held. 

“Does it….bother you?”

“Of course,” Eric said, making everyone jump as he finally joined in the conversation. “I mean, it’ like someone’s sending you on a quest but you don’t know what objective is and you don’t even get a map!”

“But you know what they say, dude,” Jake said, “follow your heart. Just do what you want. Can’t go wrong then.” That was actually the most sound advice Roy ha never received about his future. 

“Alright,” Logan declared, standing up, “enough of this depressing future talk. Let’s get some milkshakes.”

“Absolutely,” Hayley agreed as everyone followed suit. Roy tried not to show his disappointment. He’d been having fun sitting with them, even if he didn’t know them that well. It felt almost….normal. Like he could close his eyes and pretend he was Raymond. That he went to high school and played sports and hung out with friends. Like his life wasn’t a bizarre and trauma-filled mess. He opened his mouth to say his goodbyes when Logan looked at him. 

“You guys like chocolate?” he asked. 

“Huh?” Roy responded intelligently. 

“As a milkshake flavor? Chocolate?”

“For milkshakes?”

“Yeah. Did you miss me saying let’s go get milkshakes?” He looked at Jake. “No one listens to me, babe.”

“I honestly can’t blame them,” Jake replied evasively. 

“So?” Vicki prompted. “Chocolate? I prefer peanut butter.”

“….Vanilla,” Roy said slowly. “I like vanilla.”

“Boring,” Logan moaned. 

“I must agree with you, Logan,” Kaldur said, causing Roy to look at him swiftly. “I too enjoy chocolate.”

“Calvin knows.”

“Let’s go,” Vicki said, dragging Eric by his arm, as his face was once again buried in his game. 

“Hey Ray, give me your phone,” Logan said. 

“Why?”

“So I can give you my number? How else am I supposed to text you? This kid, I swear, Jake.”

“You want…” Roy hesitated. This wasn’t something Bruce had explicitly told him not to do, but that didn’t feel like a solid defense. ‘If you don’t want to seem like an anti-social freak, you just say yes,’ he told himself silently. ‘Bruce will probably destroy the phone when you get home anyways because it carries evidence of your existence. Something Bruce wants to avoid at all costs.’ Nodding at that internal logic, he handed the phone to Logan, who added himself as a contact, then passed it to Jake. As they walked the phone was passed from person to person through the group. When he got it back, Roy couldn’t help but grin at the names. It was amazing to see, even if the phone would be destroyed when he got home. 

“Hey, did anyone catch the premiere of season 5 of Robin Hood?” 

“It looks like Little John survived that arrow wound after all.” Logan looked at him with the biggest grin on his face. 

“Oh no,” Jake mumbled. “You just had to get I’m going.” 

Before Roy could ask what he meant, Logan put his arm around Roy as they walked. “Raymond, my new pal,” he said slowly. “let me tell you all about the problems I had with season 4.”

“They can’t be worse than mine.”

Logan gave him a look. “Oh, is that a challenge?”

Roy smirked a little. “Yeah, it is.”

— — 

When he got home, Roy practically bouncing on his feet. It made Kaldur smiled widely to see his friend in such a good mood. They found Bruce downstairs in the Bat Cave and he stood to meet them when they arrived. The billionaire would never admit it, but it filled him with relief to see Roy in one piece after three agonizing hours of imagining one horrible scenario of the whole thing going wrong after another. None of it had come to fruition though. Roy was home, he was safe, and he looked really, really happy. 

“How was it?” he asked. 

“We had a lot of fun,” Roy replied. “Right, Kal?”

Kaldur nodded. “Indeed,” he agreed. “It was an interesting, yet pleasurable experience.”

“I’m glad,” Bruce said. “I’m glad you had fun.” Roy reached into his pocket, then held the phone out to Bruce. “Keep it.”

Roy blinked and frowned. “Really?” he asked slowly, half wait for a trick or an ultimatum. 

“Yes. Consider it an early birthday present. I want you to have a way to get ahold of someone if you’re home alone and there’s a….problem.”

“Thanks.” 

“Roy!” Dick yelled as he took the stairs three at a time. “You’re back!” He ran to his brother and stopped in front of him, Wally appearing beside him a second later. “How was it?”

“It was great.”

“Dick, why don’t you take Kaldur back to the zeta so he can return to Mount Justice,” Bruce suggested. Roy had been away from the manor too much that day. 

Roy didn’t argue but did give his friend a hug. “Bye, Kal,” he said. “Thanks for coming with me today. I had such a good time.”

Kaldur smiled and returned the gesture, trying to ignore how it made his heart pound. “I am glad I came,” he replied honestly. “It was worth it.” 

Dick and Wally shared a look before the speedster saluted, then ran out of the cave in a blur. “Come on, Kaldur,” he said gesturing to his R-cycle. “Let’s get you back.” Kaldur followed him, feeling a little let down by leaving. dick seemed to sense this because he smiled at his leader. “You know, Roy’s birthday is coming up soon.”

“Is it?” Kaldur asked. 

“Yeah. He really loves spending time at the mountain. He likes to be with his friends.”

“I have noticed.”

“And I think he would really, really love it, if we had a birthday party for him at Mount Justice, with his friends?”

Kaldur looked at him. “Do you really think he would like that?”

“Honestly, he’d love it.”

The Atlantean nodded. “He would. Then I shall endeavor to make this the best party ever.”

“That’s the spirit!”

Roy stayed where he was as he watched them leave. Once they were gone, he went upstairs to his bedroom. The- his phone went off almost as soon as he had shut the door. It was Logan, demanding to know if Roy was watching the Robin Hood episode. Roy replied that he as just as he turned on his tv and laid down on his bed. He smiled as he watched the re-run episode, while also enjoying his new friend’s commentary on it. 

— — 

That night, on the Watchtower, Batman basically cornered Aquaman after the League meeting. “Thank you,” he said simply. 

“Did you just say thank you?” Aquaman asked, smiling. 

“Roy…had a lot of fun with Kaldur today. I am….happy you allowed him to go.”

“I’m glad they had fun together, but I can’t say I’m surprised.” He looked around, even though they were alone, and leaned in closer. “I happen to know that Kaldur’ahm’s feelings for Roy are not mere friendship.” Batman didn’t say anything. “Kaldur has romantic feelings for him, Batman.”

“…..He does?”

“Oh, yes. I will not say how I know, but I do. It’s amusing, isn’t it? Being heroes should not take away from them getting to enjoy this part of being young.” He smiled even more. “It does explain why Kaldur always wants to spend time with Roy alone, hm? I have to go, but I thought you should know. I do not know if he ever intends to act on his feelings, but now you know too.”

Batman watched Aquaman go silently. ‘He won’t,’ the bat thought, muscles tensing. ‘Kaldur’ahm won’t act on his feelings. I’ll make sure of it.’


	19. Adulthood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Roy's birthday! Just so everyone knows, there is Navajo in this chapter, which I got from a website, so I apologize if any of it is seriously wrong. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!

Of all the ways to be woken up on his 18th birthday, having a 13-year-old acrobat jump on him, wasn’t on Roy’s top ten. He moaned and swatted at Dick, who pushed his hand away. 

“Happy birthday!” Dick cheered. He was sitting on Roy’s stomach, hands pressed into the teen’s bare chest. 

“Did you ever consider I might want to sleep in on my birthday?” Roy asked him. 

“Not really.” He started bouncing up and down. “Now come on, get up!”

“Fine, fine.” Roy pushed Dick off, but his brother simply rolled with the momentum and landed on his feet next to the bed. The door opened more and Bruce came in. Roy’s muscles started to tense. His heart pounded a little, anticipating. His mouth dried a little bit. Bruce didn’t say anything to him though, he looked at the young teen standing by the bed.

“Dick,” he said, “what did I say about waking Roy up?”

“….I was nice about it,” Dick replied. 

‘Not really,’ Roy thought but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to himself. 

Bruce looked at Roy and just managed to keep the frown off his face. ‘Why does he look so tense? It’s his birthday, he should look excited or happy.’ Briefly, it occurred to him Roy might’ve heard the rumors in Gotham’s criminal underworld that Green Arrow had been hanging around the city limits that past couple of days. Unfortunately, rumors weren’t enough to fulfill the threat of blackmail; and if they were true he hadn’t stepped foot in the city, just prowled on its edges. ‘No, he can’t know. I made sure he didn’t hear about any of that.’ Then why did he look so tense? ‘I’m sure it’ll go away in a bit, once we have some celebrations.’ 

“Come on, Roy! Alfred’s making pancakes!” Dick yelled, pulling the blanket off his older brother. “Then we have to go to the Cave-“

“Why?” Roy asked as he sat up. ‘Maybe that’s where he’s taking me. Kal lives at the Cave, so I guess it wouldn’t be so bad.’ 

“Just because. Is there something else you wanted to do today?”

‘Not get throw out.’ He swallowed. “Not really.”

“Then we’ll go to the cave! Get dressed!” 

Roy nodded and stood up. He waited until Bruce had corralled Dick out of the room before he shut the door. Taking a deep breath, Roy slowly got dressed, trying not to think about how his day might end. ‘I thought Bruce would’ve wanted me gone first thing. I mean, I am an adult now. Legally I don’t need a guardian.’ Legally maybe, but realistically he knew he’d be screwed with no evidence of formal education or forms of identification; as well as still officially being a missing person. He finished getting dressed and opened his door to find Dick fully dressed in the hall. Still nervous, but not wanting to diminish his brother’s excitement for the day, Roy smiled and let himself be led downstairs. 

“Happy birthday, Master Roy,” Alfred said as soon as they had entered the dining room. On the table was a plate of pancakes for each of them, as well as bowls of toppings. Bananas, kiwi, strawberries, and chocolate chips were spread out between the three plates. Despite his own misgivings about the day, Roy smiled, really smiled, at the sight of all his favorite toppings. “I hope breakfast is to your liking, sir.”

“It’s amazing, Alfred. Thank you.” As soon as Roy sat down he started spooning topics on to his pancakes. 

“You’re welcome. I assume your usual birthday dinner will suffice for tonight?”

“….Atoo’ and flatbread?”

Dick made a face. “You mean the lamb soup?” he asked.

“Atoo’ is delicious.”

“It’s Roy’s birthday,” Bruce said to Dick. “That means he can have whatever he wants for dinner.” 

“I wasn’t saying he couldn’t have it,” Dick mumbled as he dumped half the bowl of chocolate chips onto his pancakes. He wouldn’t deny his brother his favorite dish on his birthday, especially not since he knew it was a Navajo dish Roy had eaten when he was a kid. 

‘So….I’m here long enough for dinner?’ Roy thought. ‘Maybe…maybe he’s not getting rid of me until tomorrow.’ That made Roy feel a little better, giving him enough reassurance to enjoy his breakfast. He ate a few pieces of fruit by themselves, dipping them in syrup. After breakfast, he showered and dressed, grabbing his longbow and a quiver. ‘Just for a little bit,’ he thought as he put his shoes on. ‘Just until we go to Mount Justice.’ Dick joined him outside, sitting in the grass while Roy did trick shots. He made letters or numbers in the target; even spelling out ‘Hi’ at one point. 

“You’re just showing off.”

“Pretty much.” 

Dick looked around and smiled. ‘See that pine cone?” He pointed to the small, brown seed hanging from a tree several yards away from them. “Hit that.” Roy squinted at it a little bit and smiled. He nocked the arrow to the bowstring, then pulls did back as he raised his bow. It took only a few seconds of aiming before he realized. The arrow cut through the air and a second later the pine cone was pinned to a tree behind it. Dick’s mouth dropped open in shock. He slowly turned to Roy, the shock still evident on his face. “Bro…that was awesome…”

“Thanks.”

“Do it again!”

Roy chuckled a little as he grabbed another arrow and looked for another pine cone. 

— — 

“Kid Flash, B03,” the zeta tube announced. “Flash, 04.”

“The Wall-man has arrived!” Wally announced as he skidded to a stop in the kitchen. 

“Oh joy,” Artemis muttered, rolling her eyes. 

“I heard that!”

“I said it out loud!”

“Peace!” Kaldur interjected. “Please do not fight today.”

“Yeah,” M’gann said, using her telekinesis to put the finishing touches on the cake. “It’s Arsenal’s birthday. We shouldn’t fight.”

‘I don’t know why I even need to be here,’ Artemis thought glumly as she taped another red streamer. ‘He doesn’t even like me.’ She felt the presence of someone behind her and glanced back. Kaldur was studying the streamer intently. “….Can I help you?”

“I think we should add another streamer,” he said, indicating the red and black twist of steamers that ran across the wall. “Perhaps some white.”

“White? Kaldur, you do realize to do that I would need to take the whole thing down right?”

“Yes.”

“After I just hung it up?” Kaldur simply looked at her and Artemis groaned. “Fine, ok, I’ll add white.”

“How do the balloons look?” Conner asked, crossing his arms. He’d been in charge of blowing up the balloons and taping them to the wall. Kaldur considered them for a moment. 

“Perhaps…a few more.”

“Really?” Conner looked at them in confusion. “But there’s a lot.”

“Well, there should be more.”

“….Fine.” 

Wally frowned as he leaned on the counter next to where M’gann was decorating the cake. “Has he been like this all day?” he whispered, eyeing the cake longingly. 

“Yes,” M’gann replied, focusing on her task. “He insists that Arsenal’s birthday must be perfect.” 

Looking up from twisting a long strand of a white steamer with the others, Artemis caught a smirk on Wally’s face. “What’s with the face?” she asked him. 

“What's with yours?” Wally scoffed. The archer merely rolled her eyes and returned to her task. 

“I’m very excited,” M’gann continued, apparently obvious to the hostility between her teammates. “I’ve never been part of an Earth birthday party before.”

“Believe me, Arsenal will be over the moon just to know everyone is here.”

“Yes, he will be,” Kaldur agreed. “Is everyone clear on what their roles are for his….present?”

“Present?” Artemis asked, frowning as she stopped her work again. Giggling a little bit, M’gann floated over to her and whispered in her ear. After hearing the plan, Artemis merely shrugged. “Fine.” She was as eager to give a gift to someone who hated her as she was to attend their birthday party… Speaking of which. She looked at Wally, who was once again eyeing the cake. “Why does Kid Mouth get out of party planning?”

“Excuse me,” Wally said, holding up a bag. “I brought the games.” Artemis rolled her eyes again and returned to re-hanging the streamers. “This party is going to be so great! It’ll knock Arsenal’s socks off! Speaking of which, I have to prepare the games.” He ran off out of the room and the winds behind him dragged the streamers out of Artemis’ hands. She growled in annoyance as she snatched them off the floor. 

“Everyone should be happy,” Kaldur murmured, spotting the irritated look on Artemis’ face. He didn’t want anyone to mad; it could set Arsenal on edge when he got there. 

Wally suddenly appeared at his side and noticed the worried look on their leader’s face. “Relax, Kaldur,” he said. “He’s going to love this.”

“It was really Robin’s idea.”

“It doesn’t matter whose idea it was. This is going to make his year.” He pat Kaldur’s back. “You did a good thing here, buddy. It’s going to be great.”

— — 

Around 1 in the afternoon, Roy donned his sunglasses and gloves so they could go to Mount Justice. ‘I wonder if anyone besides Kal knows it’s my birthday…’ he wondered. ‘Even if they don’t, it’ll be nice to be with friends today.’ He rode in the Batmobile, practically feeling how excited Robin was becoming. ‘What’s with him? Are he and Wally doing something when we get there?’ Maybe that why he’d been so excited to go. The prospect of seeing his own best friend had Arsenal just as excited when they stepped through the zeta. 

“Arsenal, B-04.

“Robin, B-01.

“Batman, 02.”

‘Where is everyone?’ was Arsenal’s first thought. Normally someone would come to greet them when they first arrived, but he saw no sign of anyone. 

“Something smells good,” Robin observed suddenly. “We should go see if M’gann has been baking.” 

“Sure.” In Arsenal’s opinion, her cooking really wasn’t that bad; if a little misguided at times. He followed Robin down the hall to the kitchen and living room, only to stumbled back into Batman, who put his hand to the young adult’s back to steady him. The assault of “surprise!” on his ears had started him. Arsenal pushed himself away from Batman, not wanting to seem like a child in front of his friends. Now recovered from his shock, he noted the decorations, as well as the cake on the table. White with red frosting arrows on it. “This-this is for me?”

“Happy birthday!” M’gann cheered, using her powers to float a crown over to Arsenal and placing it on his head. She then flew over herself and gave him a hug. “I’m very happy to be here celebrating it with you.”

“I’m happy you’re here too, Megan.” 

“The whole thing was Kaldur’s idea,” Wally said suddenly. Kaldur shot him a look of shock, while Artemis and Conner looked at each other in confusion.

“Is that true Kal?” Arsenal asked. “Was this your idea?”

“R-Robin was the one who mentioned it was your birthday,” Kaldur began, but Robin interrupted, slapping his leader on the back. 

“You’re too modest, Kaldur,” the small bird said with an easy smile. “You’re the one who assigned tasks to everyone to make the party happen. It was really because of you that all this happened.” 

Kaldur opened his mouth to keep arguing, but then he saw the smile on Arsenal’s face and closed it with a sigh. ‘He is happy. That is all that should matter today.’ 

“Alright, enough of this,” Wally decided walking forward. “Let’s play some games.”

“What kind of games?” Arsenal asked.

“We have…” he started drumming his hands on the table dramatically. 

“Get on with it!” Artemis hissed, elbowing him. 

“Pin the tail the donkey! A treasure hunt! Aaaand….ring toss!” 

“Those all sound like lots of fun!” M’gann cheered. 

“For six-year-olds,” Artemis muttered, making Robin frown a little bit. 

“Cool it, Artie,” he whispered, having to stand on his toes a little bit to whisper in her ear. “It’s my big brother’s birthday, so act happy.” 

“Which game are we playing first?” Arsenal asked. 

“What game do you wish to play first?” Kaldur asked him. 

“Hey!” Wally objected. “I’m in charge of the games, I’ll decide what we play first!” He suddenly shivered, feeling as though a dark cloud had descended over him. The young speedster turned his head, then jumped a foot forward. Batman was standing behind him, leaning over the teen, his cowl lenses creased in a half glare. “On second thought, Arsenal…it’s your birthday. You decide which game is first.”

Arsenal resisted the urge to laugh; Robin did not. “How about…pin the tail on the donkey,” he said.

“Great choice! Ok, everyone needs a partner.” 

“Why?”

“That’s the rules.”

“I pick Conner!” M’gann decided almost immediately, flowing over to his side. Arsenal looked at Robin, but his brother quickly paired off with Kid Flash. Artemis looked at Arsenal, then Wally suddenly shoved her hard at Conner. She looked at him in anger and disbelief, but M’gann intervened before a fight could break out. She put her hand on the other girl’s shoulder to pacify her. “You can be in our group.”

“Thanks,” Artemis muttered. 

“Looks you’re stuck with Kaldur,” Robin said to his brother. 

“I do not know how to play any of these games,” Kaldur warned Arsenal as he stood next to him. 

“It’s ok,” Arsenal assured him. 

“Ok, so!” Wally declared clapping his hand together. “It’s an easy game. You put the blindfold on, your partner spins you around, you try to pin the tail onto the donkey. Each team gets three tries. Whoever gets the most number of tails closest wins.”

“Sounds simple enough.” Wally handed him the blindfold, indicating Arsenal should go first. Batman stood on the edge of the room, watching as Kaldur tied the blindfold securely around Arsenal’s head. Flash and Black Canary joined him, both smiling at the proceedings. 

“He’s come a long way,” Flash remarked, watching as Kaldur spun Arsenal around in a circle a few times. “He never would’ve let someone blindfold him and touch him like that three years ago.”

“Hmmm…” Batman hummed in response. 

“He trusts Kaldur a lot,” Black Canary agreed. “Next to Robin and yourself, I’d say Kaldur is the person he trusts the most.”

‘Unfortunately,’ Batman thought, watching as Arsenal missed the outline of the tail on the paper by a centimeter. 

“It was a good try,” Kaldur assured his friend as Arsenal removed the blindfold. Arsenal simply smiled as he passed the blindfold on to Wally. The speedster wasted no time in tying it around his own eyes and allowing Robin to spin him around. Unfortunately, having speedster balance and grace, or lack thereof, Wally stumbled and ended up placing his tail stick on the donkey’s stomach. Robin snickered as he pulled the blindfold up. 

“You spun me too fast,” Wally muttered to Dick as he handed the blindfold to M’gann. 

“You can go first,” Artemis said to the Martian when she tried to hand her the blindfold. She was rewarded with a huge smile from her friend, who quickly tied the blindfold around her own eyes. Arsenal felt the urge to cheer her on, M’gann was such an optimistic and kind person she deserved to be cheered after all but realized that cheering for the other team probably wasn’t what he was supposed to do. Luckily, and this was a surprise even to him, Artemis was there. “You can do it, M’gann.” M’gann gave her a thumbs up before Conner started to gently spin her around. She giggled as she spun in a circle, then stumbled toward the paper with the tail sticker. She got pretty close, putting her sticker half on top of Arenal’s. When she pulled the blindfold up she beamed at how close she’d gotten. 

“Almost there!” she cheered as she took the blindfold off all the way, then threw it in the air. With a wave of her hand, her telekinesis carried it over to Kaldur. 

“Great job. It’s a good start.”

“I fear I will not help our team very much,” Kaldur said as Arsenal tied a blindfold around his eyes. 

“You’ll do fine, Kal,” Arsenal assured him. “We’re just having fun.”

“Of course.” The Atlantean seemed to relax a little bit as his friend turned him in a circle to get him dizzy before pushing him towards the paper. Kaldur stumbled forward, then moved his hand from left to right as he tried to pick a place for the sticker. He paused momentarily as he tried to decide, then suddenly slammed his hand into the paper. A little eager to see his handiwork, he lifted the blindfold…only to find the sticker was near the donkey’s neck. He looked back at Arsenal, who was chuckling. 

“You did great.”

“No, I did not.” Kaldur handed off the blindfold to Robin. “I did very bad.”

“But you did it with passion.” Kaldur gave him a look, then lightly shoved the archer. On the other side of the room, Flash and Black Canary each grabbed one of Batman’s elbows to hold him back. 

“Relax, Bats,” Flash said as Robin finished tying the blindfold over his own eyes and Wally started spinning him around. “He’s fine.” 

Robin, being the talented acrobat he was, ended up barely dizzy from Wally’s spins. He sauntered over to the paper and planted his tail sticker on. When he lifted the blindfold he discovered he’d put it right next to outline, just a centimeter closer than his brother’s. Wally didn’t say anything to him, simply high-fiving his friend as he passed date bindle on. Conner took it, then passed it to Artemis. She shrugged and tied it around her own eyes. 

“I can spin you,” M’gann offered. She spun the archer around, then Artemis stumbled towards the donkey. She caught herself quickly, then waited a second before shrugging again and darting forward to put her sticker on the paper. She raised the blindfold to find that hers had landed near M’gann. 

“Whoops,” she muttered as she handed it back to Arsenal and Kaldur. 

“It was a good try.”

“Thanks, Megan.”

Arsenal held out the blindfold to Kaldur, who shook his head and gestured for him to take it. “It is your birthday, my friend,” the Atlantean explained as he tied the blindfold around the archer’s eyes. “You go ahead.” Arsenal smiled at him, then let himself be spun around. He stumbled a little as Kaldur gave him a light shove towards the paper. He smiled and moved his hand to the left, then the right, then finally the right some more. Eager to see if he’d finally done it, he pulled the dark cloth off his face but discovered he’d still missed the outline of the donkey’s tail. His sticker was just to the right of the outline. 

“Awww, man,” he moaned. Kaldur simply pat him on the back as he handed the blindfold to Wally. The speedster was so excited he could barely hold still while Robin tied the blindfold around his face. Practically vibrating, he almost shot out of Robin’s hands when his friend had finished spinning him around. Consequently, he practically ran face first into the wall. Robin was doubled over cackling while M’gann giggled and Arsenal snorted. 

“Smooth, KF,” Robin snickered. “So smooth.” Wally looked at where he’d placed the sticker, about an inch above the donkey. Face now as red as his hair, Wally shoved the blindfold at Conner silently. The clone looked at him with the shadow of a smile on his face, then tied the blindfold around himself. Artemis and M’gann worked together to spin him around. When they finished he didn’t seem at all affected as he sauntered up to paper, then planted the sticker on. He pulled the blindfold off to see that he’d stuck his near Arsenal’s second one, right on the outline. 

“Dude!” Wally sighed.

“Looks like we win,” Artemis smirked. Arsenal and Kaldur looked at each other, then shrugged. 

“What’s next?” M’gann asked Arsenal, looking incredibly excited about the next game. 

“Um….ring toss?” Arsenal suggested, taking a hint from Wally jerking his head in the direction of where the game was set up. 

“He is not subtle,” Kaldur whispered to Arsenal as they followed the speedster. 

“No, but we should humor him. I think he worked really hard on this.”

“Agreed.” They arrived at the game and everyone immediately split into their earlier groups. Arsenal grabbed the four red, plastic rings, then handed two to Kaldur. 

“Go ahead, bro,” Robin said, after snatching up four blue ones for himself and Kid Flash. M’gann used her telekinesis to float the green ones to her team. Arsenal smiled and easily tossed one of his on to the center peg. 

“Excellent aim,” Kaldur said in congratulations. 

“Thanks,” Arsenal replied. Robin went next, purposefully aiming for one of the pegs away from the center. 

“I feel like this is too easy,” Artemis said as she landed a ring on top of Robin’s. “Guess that’s what we get for letting Baywatch pick the games.”

“Hey!” Wally objected. “These are classics games!”

“For five-year-olds.”

“Is that true?” Kaldur whispered to Arsenal as he tossed a ring onto a peg. 

“I want to say no,” Arsenal began as Wally aimed his ring, “but I did play pin the tail on the donkey when I was 5.” That made his friend chuckle. “We could be playing duck, duck, goose for all I care. I’m just happy to have friends to celebrate with.” It was hard to remember the last time he’d had this many people to celebrate with. ‘Not my 12th birthday, Brave Bow was sick by then and he wasn’t up for throwing me a party. Must’ve been my 11th birthday then.’ He hadn’t had a ton of friends as a kid, but he’d never been alone his birthday. Not until he’d lived with Oliver. Someone tapped his shoulder, bringing his attention back to reality. 

“Are you ok, Arsenal?” Kaldur kept his voice down. “You looked…lost.”

“I’m fine, Kal.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, really, it’s fine.” Arsenal gave his friend a smile to prove his point. ‘That's over now. I’m here having a party with my friends. Everything is fine. I’m fine.’ 

Wally “accidentally” elbowed Robin as he threw another ring, causing it to miss. Robin looked at him, obviously irritated. “Dude!” he snapped, throwing his arms in the air. “I’m on your team!”

“Just trying to keep it interesting,” Wally replied. Robin glared, the effect of which was diminished by his sunglasses and shoved his teammate. 

“It’s not about winning, it's about having fun,” M’gann said as she tossed her ring onto a peg. 

“No, it's about winning,” Artemis told her. 

‘I’m playing for fun,’ Arsenal thought as Kaldur tossed his first ring. Not that he wasn’t competitive, he and Robin could turn anything into a competition between the two of them, but today he just wanted to enjoy the company of his friends. Wally was up next and Robin timed it so he leaped onto the speedster’s back. The acrobat’s weight bright his friend down, causing the ring to miss the pegs by a foot. 

“Dude!” Wally moaned as Robin sat with his legs crossed on his back. He glared at the bird, but Robin simply shrugged. Conner threw his ring and it landed don a peg. He looked entirely unimpressed by the whole thing. Kaldur threw his second ring, which landed on top of Arsenal’s. 

“We did good,” Arsenal nodded.

“I do not see how we could do not,” Kaldur replied. 

Wall twisted around to look up at Robin, who was still sitting on his back. “You need to get up so I can throw the ring, dude,” he said. Robin didn’t reply verbally but simply shrugged. The speedster sighed and attempted to toss his second ring while still pinned to the ground. It hit the side of one of the pegs but didn’t land on any of them. Artemis handed the last ring from their team to her, since she seemed to be enjoying the game the most. The martian grinned brilliantly at her and gave it a gentle toss. It flew and landed smoothly on one of the pegs. Everyone stood there for a moment as the game came to its anti-climatic end. 

“This bites,” Artemis said. 

“How about cake?” Kaldur suggested. 

“Oh, yes!” M’gann cheered, clapping her hands together. “Conner and I made the cake special. Just for Arsenal.”

“….thanks,” Arsenal almost whispered, extremely touched by the gesture. 

“Let us go eat, then,” Kaldur said. The team moved back to the kitchen and M’gann cut the cake. She gave the first and biggest piece to Arsenal, which caused Black Canary and Flash to both looked at Batman. The Dark Knight was a little confused about the warning looks they gave him. 

‘Just because I make the boys eat healthy doesn’t mean I deny them any kinds of treats,’ he thought, a little irritated. ‘I’m not Oliver, I don’t use food to control them.’ Besides, Arsenal looked really happy and relaxed as he ate. Batman’s eyes narrowed a little bit when Kaldur leaned on the archer a bit, but he didn’t say anything. Yet. The two of them, however, were oblivious to the look. 

“Mmm, this is good,” Arsenal hummed. “Good job Megan and Conner.”

“I just read the recipe,” Conner grunted as he ate this own piece. 

‘When cooking with M’gann, making her stick to the recipe is a very important task.’ He could tell Robin was thinking the same thing though. Kaldur was leaning on him a little bit as they ate, but he didn’t mind. Arsenal welcomed the gentle and comforting touch. 

“I’m glad you like the cake, Arsenal,” M’gann smiled. “I also made you some cookies because Robin said you like sweets.”

“Thanks. I’m sure they’re delicious.” 

Noticing the archer was finishing up on his piece, Kaldur set his own plate aside and nodded to the others. Wally started smiling, making Robin frown. Without warning the speedster set his plate down, then started running around the kitchen, before shooting off into a wall. At the same moment, M’gann subtly moved her hand, causing something on the other side of the room to crash to the ground. Artemis and Superboy ran to Wally, shouting at him to see if he was ok. During all the commotion, Kaldur glanced at Flash, Batman, Black Canary to confirm their attention had been drawn to either the speedster or the fallen, objects. He grabbed Arsenal’s hand, startling the archer a little bit as he’d been watching Wally as well. Before Arsenal could say anything, Kaldur pulled him away from the group out of the room. They ran through several halls before Kaldur decided it was safe and slowed down.

“Kal,” Arsenal whispered, noticing that they were in the hangar. “What’re we doing?”

“I- We, not just me this is from the Team too, have a present for you.”

“…..Ok…”

Kaldur let go of Arsenal’s hand and walked over to the control panel and open the door. He turned back to his friend, only to discover he’d shrunk back a little bit. “Arsenal?”

“We’re going outside?”

“Well, …yes..”

Arsenal shook his head as he took a step back and crossed his arms almost protectively. “Batman says it's not safe to go outside.”

“….The probability of Green Arrow being outside is astronomical. Besides, we will not be far and I will be right there. You trust me, yes?” He held out his hand. Arsenal looked it for a moment before taking it and looking his friend in the eye. 

“Yeah, I trust you.”

“Then trust that I will not let anything bad happen to you. Ok?”

Arsenal nodded. “Ok.” He took a deep breath as Kaldur lead him out the hangar door. They walked across the grass behind the mountain, Arsenal smiling as late afternoon sunlight hit his face. They kept walking and soon the grass turned into sand. “What-“

“I thought you should visit a beach at least once in your life.” 

Taking a deep breath, the salt air burned a little in Arsenal’s throat, but he liked it. There was something great about it. The excitement started to buzz around Arsenal’s muscles as he sat down in the sand to pull off his socks and shoes. He hesitated for a moment before pulling off his gloves as well. Once they were gone, Kaldur wasted almost no time pulling him down toward the water. “What if someone catches us-“

“We will be fine. The Team will be creating small mishaps for approximately 10 minutes to keep the League members distracted.”

Ten minutes. Ten whole minutes to play in the water with his best friend. Arsenal couldn’t help but grin as he was pulled into the ocean. A shock went through his muscles and goosebumps broke out over his skin upon contact. With his feet submerged up to his ankles, he shivered. He looked at Kaldur, who looked perfectly at ease. “Let me guess…you don’t think it’s cold?”

“Not at all. I think it is perfect.”

Arsenal huffed a little. ‘Atlantean physiology. Not fair.’ He looked down at his feet, kicking at the sand a little bit. He dug his toes into the cold, damp sand, smiling at the texture between his toes. The archer’s attention was so focused on his feet that he failed to notice his friend’s hand swiping at the surface. Arsenal looked up just as a spray of water hit him in the face. He stumbled back, catching himself before he fell. The small waves continued to push and pull against his ankles as he took a moment to access his situation. “Did-did you just splash me?”

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. “Did I? Apologizes my friend, I do not know what you are talking about.”

Arsenal’s confusion morphed as he smirked and raised his eyebrows. “Oh yeah?” Moving with deft speed, he slammed his own into the water, pulling it up as he brought it across his body. The small wave of water hit Kaldur. “Whoops.” 

Kaldur simply grinned. “You should not provoke me in my natural habitat.” He threw water at Arsenal, who tried to sidestep it and threw more water back at him. The two of them kept going for several minutes, splashing water back and forth. Finally though, Kaldur and to pull back and put his hands up in surrender. “Peace, my friend! Peace!” He found the wide and natural smile on Roy’s face and it made his stomach flip a little bit. ‘Even if I get in trouble for bringing him outside, it will be worth it.’ Neither of them moved or she for a moment. Then Kaldur remembered how important it was that they go back. “I am afraid we must return.”

“Figured. Come on.” Arsenal held out his hand and Kaldur took it without hesitation. Both of them were so content that neither of them noticed the hand Kaldur was hooding was Arsenal’s scared one. They returned to the beach and Arsenal donned his socks and sneaker again, still so happy he didn’t even mind the sand that stuck to his feet. “I wish I didn’t have to go back inside again.”

“Perhaps we will find another good opportunity to come back.”

“I hope so.” Kaldur pulled him to his feet and Arsenal put his gloves on. He then absentmindedly took Kaldur’s and as they walked back to the mountain. It made Kaldur’s heart pound a little bit. IN the back of his mind, he could hear Tula and Garth’s parting words to him; their advice. They walked into the hangar and he made sure to shut the door. As it shut, he turned to Arsenal, who was still smiling. “Thanks, Kal. I really loved it.” 

“You are welcome, my friend.” He hesitated for a moment and Roy used it to give him a hug. 

“You’re always there for me and thinking of things like this and I…I appreciate it, Kal. I really do.”

Kaldur swallowed. “Roy-“ The sound of someone clearing his throat got their attention, cutting him off. Kaldur’s spirits dropped a little bit when he saw it was Batman. They broke apart quickly. He glanced back, and the door was shut, but he suspected that might not be what got them in trouble for the moment. 

“What’re you two doing?” Batman asked, sounding a little suspicious to Kaldur’s ears. 

“Nothing, Batman. Simply….enjoying some time alone.”

“Hmm.” Batman looked at Arsenal. “We’ll be leaving soon, so you should go spend some more time with the others.”

“Right.” Arsenal gave Kaldur another smile before he left. 

Kaldur sighed a little and his shoulders slumped a bit as he followed. He lagged behind a little bit and was stopped by Batman before he could exit. The hand on his chest pushed him back a little bit so he was standing a few feet in front of the Dark Knight. “Is something wrong?” he asked. Batman didn’t answer, instead staring at him in silence. “Batman-“

“I know about your feelings for Arsenal,” Batman said finally. 

“You-you do?” It was beyond Kaldur how Batman could’ve found out, but he that this was just….Batman being Batman. He knew things and how he knew them, no one would ever know. 

“Yes. Let me make this perfectly clear to you: you will not act on these feelings or tell him about them.”

“But-“ He stopped when Batman’s intense look morphed into a half-glare. 

“You care for him, right?” Kaldur nodded. “Then consider this: your being in a relationship with Arsenal could hurt him.” 

“How? I would never intentionally-“

“It could happen unintentionally. Arsenal values your friendship and he trusts you. He could think that you’ll stop being his friend if he doesn’t do the things you want him to do. Things he might not want to do or be ready for.” 

“But if he returns my feelings-“

“Feelings that may just be him mistaking platonic feelings for romantic ones due to his lack of socializing for many years.” Kaldur didn’t agree, but it was hard to say so to the Batman. “If you really care about his well-being, then just being his friend should be good enough for you.” That made Kaldur glance downward. “And if you think otherwise….I will make your life miserable if I find out you told Arsenal how you feel. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Batman.” 

Batman walked away. ‘It had to be done,’ he thought as he did. ‘Roy is too fragile to be dealing with something like this. Just last week I had to explain what sex is to him! He can’t be involved in…romantic things. Besides, what if Kaldur were to take advantage of him.’ Intentionally or unintentionally, there were many ways the Dark Knight could see that happening. ‘I need to protect Roy. I have to keep him safe.’ 

Meanwhile, Kaldur was trying to act as though nothing had happened. He followed Batman back to the kitchen where he found Arsenal looking over a piece of paper. The archer looked up as he approached and grinned. 

“Apparently Wally planned a treasure hunt,” Arsenal explained, showing the map to Kaldur. “Since it's my party our team gets a head-start.” 

‘Just friends,’ Kaldur reminded himself silently as he looked over the paper, leaning in so close he could smell Arsenal. ‘We are just friends. For his well-being…and mine. It is best if we are just friends.’ 

— — 

When they arrived at the Bat cave, Batman immediately noticed how tense Roy became. Leaving Mount Justice he’d been calm and happy, giving M’gann and Wally hugs— not Kaldur, Batman had noted happily— and seemed to be in a good mood all the way home. Once they’d been home for a few minutes though and he was taking off his gloves and sunglasses, Roy seemed to be getting these. He kept glancing at Batman like he was expecting something. Sensing this wasn’t going to be a fun conversation, he pulled off the cowl to become Bruce once more and looked at Dick. He inclined his head to indicate the teen should go upstairs. Thankfully, Dick took the hint.

“Uh….I have to go….wrap something…” he mumbled as he turned toward the stairs. 

Roy watched him go sadly. ‘You knew this was coming,’ he told himself silently. ‘You knew it was coming.’ It still didn’t mean he couldn’t be upset. ‘Maybe if I explain that I’m still useful as Arsenal and point out how well I’ve done with solo cases- No, that could backfire. Maybe I just need to-‘ A hand setting on his shoulder knocked him out of his scrambled thoughts and his head snapped toward Bruce. 

“Roy,” Bruce said worriedly, “are you ok?”

‘I’m being thrown out of my home, how can I be ok?!’ That thought surprised him. He’d never really thought of the Manor as his home before, but it was true. This was his home and he didn’t want to leave. “I…”

“Roy, it’s your birthday, you shouldn’t be upset today. What’s going on?” Roy looked down and mumbled something. “What?”

“….you’re going to get rid of me…”

Bruce’s brow furrowed. “Get rid of you? Roy, I’ve told you before, I won’t send you back to Star; ever.”

“I know that but….but why should you keep me now? I-I’m 18. Technically I’m an adult so-so you don’t have to be stuck with me anymore and you didn’t want to take care of me in the first place-“

“Who told you that?” 

“….I was talking to Wally.” Bruce could’ve sighed. Of course, a speedster was involved. “He told me that- the night I left Star, Flash volunteered to take care of me first. But then Superman told you that you needed to be the one to do it.” Roy swallowed. “You didn’t really want me, you just kind of got stuck with me.”

“Roy-“

“So if you don’t want me here I understand, but-“

“Roy, listen! I need you to listen. Yes, I didn’t immediately volunteer to take care of you, but it’s not because I don’t like you or that I didn’t want you. I didn't volunteer because I didn’t think I was the right person for it. I had no experience taking care of someone who had your problems and I thought you would be better off with Flash. Superman had to point out to me that I was the only one who really had the means to take care of you. I wasn’t because I didn’t want you, because I do want you here, Roy.”

“Why would you want me?” 

That took Bruce by surprise. Self-esteem hadn’t been as much of an issue as used to be, so the question was a little unexpected. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Roy crossed his arms and rubbed them absentmindedly. “O-Ollie would always tell me that I was lucky he took me in because no one else wanted me. That I was so worthless and stupid no one else would ever want me. Which is kind of true because Brave Bow was the only other person who ever wanted me. When he died, someone else on the reservation could’ve taken me in, but they didn’t because they didn’t want me; like Oliver said. But he didn’t really want me either, he wanted to use me so….I guess no one wants me.”

It really broke Bruce’s heart that Roy said everything like it was a solid fact. ‘Of course, Oliver is somehow involved in this.’ Because everything that had gone wrong in Roy’s life in recent years traced back to Oliver somehow. “Roy, you don’t know that the reason other people didn’t take you in was that you weren’t wanted. It could’ve been any number of reasons. As for Oliver….” He didn’t know what to say. Roy was already aware that Oliver had only wanted to use him as a vigilante and hadn’t really cared about him. Unfortunately, that didn’t leave Bruce with a lot he could say. “Oliver isn’t- He shouldn’t be used as the standard. His actions are far outside what you should consider normal reasoning for these situations. Besides, he just told you those things because he wanted to destroy your sense of self-worth and make you more emotionally dependent on him.”

“…..I guess that makes sense. But…why do you want me to stay here?”

‘Why? Because you’re my son! How could I be ok with letting you leave, much less kicking you out!’ As easy as it was to think these things, Bruce found he couldn’t translate his thoughts into words. His brain couldn’t convey the message for him to open his mouth and say the words out loud; as if a wall had been built and he couldn’t break through. Wanting to clear this up for Roy someway though, he took a different route. “Roy, you know that you’re safe here in Gotham. As long as you’re here, as long as I’m here, Oliver won’t come near you. Do you believe that?”

“….Yeah.” The one night two years ago aside, Roy hadn’t seen or even heard of Oliver since that night. If he could credit Bruce with anything, it was making good on his promise to keep him safe. His response made Bruce nod. 

“Do you believe that all I want is to keep you safe?”

“……um…..I guess?”

“You guess?”

“Well….why wouldn’t you want me at least be useful? I’m here and I take up space-“

“Roy, you do not “take up space”. Do not ever think that you do.” Bruce considered how to go about this. “Did Brave Bow want you to be useful in order to keep you?”

“That’s different! Brave Bow…he was my dad. He loved me.” That almost made Bruce flinch. Almost. He pushed his emotions down, locking them somewhere deep inside himself. 

“Regardless, do you at least see how it would only be logical if the only thing I want is to see you safe, that I would want you to stay> Where you’ll be safest.”

Roy was quiet for a moment. “….I guess so.” He swallowed. “So….you won’t kick me out?” He looked at Bruce hopefully, which the man felt could kind of be a victory. 

“No, Roy. I won’t kick you out.”

“Ok. Thanks.” 

Bruce reached out and squeezed Roy’s should gently. “Why don’t we go upstairs, huh? I’m sure dinner is almost ready.”

“Yeah.” Roy couldn’t help the sigh of relief and the wave of relaxation that went through his body as he walked up the stairs. ‘He’s not throwing me out. He’s not.’ He could stay in the manor; he didn’t have to leave his home. ‘That’s good. That’s-that’s so good.’ He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. 

Bruce, meanwhile, was not as relieved. The conversation seemed to help Roy, but it was the fact they’d needed to have the conversation at all that bothered him. ‘How could I have let this happen?’ he thought as they exited into his study. ‘The nightmares are….better, he has relatively good self-esteem, he eats, he sleeps…. He’s been so much better, how could this happen?’ The only thing Bruce could come up with was that he’d overlooked something. Done something to make Roy feel unwanted, or at least feel like his existence needed to be justified. ‘Maybe I’ve been putting too much pressure on him as Arsenal. Or I’ve been ignoring him. Maybe that’s why.’ Bruce was once again hit with the feeling of inadequacy. Not wanting to ruin Roy’s big day though, he swallowed all of his feelings and locked them away. Tonight would be a celebration of Roy’s life, as it should be. 

“Roy, come on,” Dick said, suddenly appearing at his side. Roy jumped a little bit, causing Dick to reach out and gently settle a hand on his arm. “Alfred said that dinner is ready.” 

Now that he noticed it, the closer Roy got to the dining room, he could smell the atoo’. It was making his mouth water and his stomach grumbled a little. It’d been a few hours since he’d had cake, due to the treasure hunt (that he and Kaldur had won). The smell brought back many joyful memories for him, which seemed fitting. He glanced down and Dick and saw the slight crinkle of his young brother’s nose. “Why don’t you like atoo’?”

“….It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just….it’s lamb, Roy! You know, lamb. Small, cuddly, cute.”

“Dick, you literally ate rabbit last year.”

“….” Dick muttered something under his breath in Romani and dropped the subject after that. They entered the dining room and Roy was grinning as he sat down. Alfred didn’t make the dish quite like Brave Bow used to, but it was close enough. Bring back memories of happier and simpler times for him.

‘And I hope that it would make Brave Bow happy I haven’t forgotten the people who raised me,’ he thought as Alfred placed a good sized portion in front of him. “Ahéhee.”

“You’re welcome, sir,” Alfred replied. 

Dick sniffed his spoonful suspiciously before eating it. “You understood that?” he asked, once he’d swallowed the spoonful. 

“Of course, Master Dick. I have spent much time with Master Roy over the last few years and picked up on several phrases in Navajo.” That made Roy smile even more. Alfred had always taken care to incorporate as much Navajo culture and history as he could into Roy’s school work; always somehow recognizing how important his old home was to him. After that, Roy enjoyed his meal, feeling content and eased as he did. After dinner, it was time for presents. 

Once the dished had been cleared away Dick proudly slid a box across the table to Roy. Roy opened it and found a book. The cover was red and displayed a silhouette of a head with the title “3,000 Questions About Me”. Picking it up, Roy frowned a little as he flipped through it. The questions seemed to range from serious (who do you admire most?) to silly (if you were a food how would you describe your taste?) “Is this like…a journal?”

“Kind of,” Dick replied. “I saw it and thought you have a lot of free time on your hands now, so why not spend it filling in 3,000 questions about yourself.”

“Solid logic.” He supposed it could be interested. Dinah was telling him he needed to do some introspection lately. “Thanks, Dick.”

“You’re welcome.” 

“Here is my present, Master Roy,” Alfred said, placing a wrapped gift in front of him. In about ten seconds flat, Roy opened the gift. 

“Another book?” He turned it over and his confusion soon trend to elation. “A book about speaking Navajo!”

“The cover claims it is fit for many different levels, so I thought it would suit you. Now you can continue to study the language and improve on your skills.”

“Ahéhee.”

“Baa Hózh’ǫǫgo Nidizhchí.” Everyone looked at Alfred in surprise. “I may have looked the phrase up so I could use it today.”

“I love it, Alfred.”

“I’m very glad, sir.”

Bruce was next, and he picked up a large box and slid it across the table to Roy. Upon opening it, Roy discovered it was a new archery set. A black compound bow with matching arrows and a quiver. There was also a pack of bowstrings in the box. “Thanks, Bruce,” Roy said, pulling out the bow so he could examine it. “I have like….4 bows though, not including my Arsenal ones.”

“I know,” Bruce nodded, “but I saw this set and….thought it looked cool.” It was true. The colors were a dark blue that after into black that had caught his attention. Roy usually preferred brighter colors on his equipment, but Bruce had thought these ones were really…well…cool. 

“They different…but I like that. It’s great, Bruce. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He looked at the time. “It’s time to get ready for patrol.”

“I will have a cake ready for you when you return, sirs,” Alfred assured them. 

“Come on,” Dick said as he slipped out of his seat. 

“Master Roy needs to put his gifts in his room first.”

“I’ll meet you down there,” Roy told Dick, gathering up his presents. He headed to his bedroom, feeling a rush of gratitude that he could still think of it as such. Wanting to get down to patrol, he set everything down on his bed. ‘This day definitely went better than I thought it would.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Ahéhee (thank you)
> 
> *Baa Hózh’ǫǫgo Nidizhchí (Happy Birthday)


	20. Skeletons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm actually almost done writing this story. I'm working on the second to last chapter right now and then I have the last chapter to do. I wrote Auld Acquaintance over two days, it took a while. Oh boy. Exciting stuff. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

“Arsenal, B04,” the zeta tube announced, signaling the archer’s exit from the cave. Artemis almost groaned but bit it back just in time. Unfortunately, the half-sound was picked up by Conner’s super hearing and it made him look at her in confusion. 

“Why do you do that?” he asked. 

“Do what?” Artemis replied, knowing full well what he was talking about. 

“You groan when Arsenal comes here.”

Artemis crossed her arms stubbornly. “Technically he was leaving.”Conner stared at her. “You can’t say I should be thrilled about spending time with someone who hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you.”

“Yes, he does.”

“How do you know?” M’gann asked, looking up from the cookbook she’d been studying. 

“You remember the mission when we helped Dr. Roquette?” They both nodded. “Afterward he went off on me, saying he didn’t trust me and he said, quote “I won’t fall for tricks again”; and that I better not hurt his friends or brother because he “won’t fall for it again”.”

“That’s really what he said?” 

“I swear it was. Did-did something happen on a mission before I joined the Team?”

“We weren’t a Team for a long time before you got here,” Conner said. “But….no.” 

“There was also his reaction to first meeting you,” M’gann said. “I never said anything because I thought I was imagining it, but he was projecting a lot of really strong emotions.”

“What kind?” Artemis asked. 

“Panic. Distrust. Fear.”

“And his heart rate was faster,” Conner said, thinking back to that day. “He was definitely freaked out.”

“Why though?” M’gann asked. “I can understand if he had a difficult time trusting someone he didn’t know, but why should he be so afraid? It’s a little strange.

”He also had a panic attack. In Cadmus. When I went back to free Robin, Arsenal, Kid Flash, and Aqualad from the pods, he was having a panic attack. I asked Robin about it and he told me that Arsenal had problems.”

“Why would being in a pod give him a panic attack?” 

“Maybe he has claustrophobia,” Artemis suggested. She saw the look of confusion on M’gann’s face. “It means he’s scared of small, tight spaces.”

“Why would he though?”

“I don’t know.”

“He wears those gloves,” Conner pointed out. They both looked at him. “The black gloves on his hands. I’ve never actually seen his hands because he always wears the gloves.”

Artemis frowned as she thought back. “Now that you mention it….yeah. He does wear those things a lot.”

“Perhaps he doesn’t want to get his hands dirty,” M’gann suggested. 

“Maybe…” Artemis’ tone conveyed just how unlikely she thought that was. Then she realized something. “He didn’t come in here did he?”

“He doesn’t,” Conner told her. “When he comes here once a week, he talks to Black Canary for an hour, then leaves.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know.”

“Maybe Robin knows,” M’gann suggested. “He’s Arsenal’s brother.”

“Of course Robin knows, but do you really think he’d tell us?” Artemis replied. They were, after all, talking about the guy who wouldn’t even tell them his name. She highly doubted he would tell them about Arsenal’s apparent issues. 

“Batman is also very protective of Arsenal,” Conner pointed out, somewhat out of the blue. This caused Artemis and M’gann to look at him in surprise. “He doesn’t let Arsenal leave the cave at all. When we went camping he wasn’t allowed to come. But he isn’t that way with Robin.”

“That is a little strange,” M’gann admitted. 

‘This is all sounding very suspicious,’ Artemis thought. ‘He’s so weird. Why is he like this?’ She looked at her two friends. “Do you guys feel like we’re missing something?”

“Yes. Wally and Kaldur don’t seem to think his behavior is strange. When he was having a panic attack in Cadmus neither of them batted an eye.”

“Then its probably because of something that happened before the three of us came along.”

“Could we just ask Arsenal about his behavior?” M’gann asked. 

“Do you think he’d tell us? I know for a fact he wouldn’t tell me, and if he wanted to tell you two, then he probably would’ve already.” 

“Someone’s coming,” Conner said suddenly. Their conversation died down and a few seconds later Black Canary walked into the room. 

“Hello,” she said, feeling a little suspicious at how quiet the three of them were. “What’s going on?”

“Um…” M’gann began, glancing at the other two. “We heard Arsenal leave.”

“Yes, he’s needed in Gotham right now.”

“Well, …we were wondering why he was here? He comes here once a week, but only to talk to you.”

Black Canary considered her answer for a moment. “Arsenal’s reasons for meeting with me are his reasons. That’s all I can say about it.”

“Really?” Artemis asked. 

“Really. If you want to know what’s going on with him, ask him. However, I would suggest that as his friends you should respect that he might not want you to know.”

“We’ll….consider that.” Black Canary nodded and walked away. Artemis waited until the sounds of her footsteps had retreated before turning back to M’gann and Conner. “We need to question Kaldur and Wally.”

“But Black Canary just said-“ M’gann began, but Artemis shook her head. 

“Look, he’s entitled to his privacy, but we’re his teammates. If he has…issues, we should know. What if it’s something that affects a mission?”

“I guess so.” M’gann looked at Conner, who shrugged and had gone back to his tv show. “Do you think they’ll tell us?”

“Why not? I can’t hurt to ask.”

“We’ll do it tomorrow then.”

— — 

The following day, Wally came speeding into the cave, right out of the mouth of the zeta tube. He ended up running straight into Conner, then fell on the ground. “Oof!” he grunted when he hit the ground. 

“Are you ok?” Kaldur asked, looking down at him. 

“Yup!” Wally pushed himself to his feet quickly and put his hands on his hips. “See? Fine.”

“Very good.”

“Are the bat boys coming?”

“Robin and Arsenal should be here soon.”

“Speaking of Arsenal…” Artemis said while re-stringing her bow. “What’s going on with him?”

“What do you mean?” 

“We’ve noticed some…strange behavior from him,” M’gann said. “He seems to be cl-cla-“

“Claustrophobic,” Conner supplied. 

“Yes. He wears those gloves, meets with Black Canary for some reason every week, Batman seems to be a little overprotective of him-“

“He’s said some really strange things to us,” Conner added. “He told me he has experience with someone who lashes out at others in anger and told Artemis he won’t be tricked again.” 

Artemis was anticipating a response from Wally and Kaldur, so when one didn’t come right away, she looked up from her work in confusion. The other two teens were looking at each other. If she hadn’t known better, she might’ve thought one of them was psychic. It looked like they were trying to read each other’s minds. “What’s going on?” she asked, eyes narrowing. 

Kaldur sighed. “It is not our place to say,” he told them. 

“So you do know?” Conner asked. 

“Yes.”

“But you won’t tell us?” 

“No.”

Artemis put her two down, then stood up and crossed her arms. “Why not?” she almost demanded. “We’re his teammates. We deserve to know if there’s something going on with him.”

“Normally, I would agree, but this has nothing to do with his performance on the Team.”

“We really can’t say, guys,” Wally added. “If Arsenal wanted you to know, he’d tell you himself.”

“It is his business. You should leave it alone.” 

“Robin, B01. Arsenal, B04.” The two vigilantes walked out of the zeta and the conversation stopped. 

“What’s going on?” Arsenal asked, sensing the small amount of tension in the room. 

“Nothing,” Kaldur assured him. 

“Uh-huh,” Robin murmured, looking at Wally, who shook his head slightly. He could feel Arsenal shift a little, uncomfortably, not that he could blame his brother since they could both tell there was something they were missing. “So, what’re we doing?”

“Black Canary has canceled our training exercise today. She said something came up in Seattle.”

“We could still spar a bit,” Wally suggested. 

“Great idea,” Artemis said, surprising everyone. The speedster looked at her, then down at himself, then at Robin. 

“Is she talking to me?”

“Shut up, Baywatch.”

“That’s better,” Robin nodded. 

“Come along,” Kaldur said, sounding more than a little exasperated. “I think getting some energy out with sparring would be a good idea.”

“Can I spar against you first?” Arsenal asked him as they walked to the middle of the center cavern. 

Before Kaldur could answer, Artemis spoke up, “I want to spar against Arsenal first.” Something about her tone made Robin frown, while Kaldur immediately noticed how Arsenal stiffened a bit. 

“Perhaps you would like to spar with Wally first instead,” Kaldur suggested. 

“Why can’t I spar Arsenal?” 

“What’s your problem?” Robin asked, his voice carrying a slight edge. 

“Nothing. I just think it’d be beneficial for the archers to spar each other; without bows. Am I wrong?” 

Robin opened his mouth to reply, but Arsenal put his hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine,” the archer said, trying to keep his voice steady. 

“Are you sure?” Kaldur asked him. He resisted the urge to reach out and hold his friend’s hand. 

“I am. I’ll be fine.” Robin just kept looking up at him. “Seriously, Robin. I’ll be fine.”

“….Go for it then.” Robin crossed his arms and even through his mask, Wally could tell he was glaring at Artemis. She ignored him though as she and Arsenal stepped into the sparring ring. 

“Do you want to take your gloves off?” Artemis asked him, almost like she was trying to bait him. Her tone made Robin’s glare deepen. 

“I’m fine,” Arsenal told her. He immediately took a defensive stance while Artemis took an offensive one. Neither of them moved for a moment, then she attacked. Arsenal took two steps back, then ducked under her fist. He pivoted and moved to get around her, wishing he had his bow. He could fight whiteout it just fine, but it always felt more natural when he was holding it. Artemis didn’t let up though, stepping up her speed as she tried to kick him. Arsenal blocked her and grabbed her foot, pushing it away to throw her off balance. He tried to throw a punch at her, but she moved to the side before he could reach her. “What’s wrong, Arsenal?” she asked as she swung three more consecutive punches at him. “I thought you and Robin were good at this?”

“We are…” Arsenal grit his teeth as the green on her suit kept flashing in his visit. ‘Focus,’ he told himself mentally, trying to focus on what he was doing and not what color Artemis was wearing. ‘They’re not even the same size! What the hell is wrong with you?!’ What indeed, even with Arsenal telling himself over and over again that it was just Artemis, he couldn’t help but feel the familiar constricting of his chest. He pushed through though, trying to hit her back. Unfortunately, it was difficult to fight back when his brain just kept focusing on her blonde hair or her green suit and immediately putting those two observations together. ‘Not Oliver. It’s not Oliver!’ He kept repeating that thought as he ducked yet another punch, but this time one landed on his chest. The light kevlar in his suit absorbed it, but his brain took the blow as a NOT GOOD, VERY BAD signal. 

Heart-pounding and breath quickening, Arsenal realized he needed to try and use one of his grounding techniques. Unfortunately, that was difficult to do when someone kept trying to hit him. Every time he tried to reach for what he needed mentally, he had to focus on defending himself; which kept pushing the techniques away. He opened his mouth to tell Artemis he wanted to stop, but it didn’t come out. A small squeak did, which confused Artemis a little bit, but didn’t stop. By this time, Arsenal was starting to lose control of his brain. Everything was just suddenly too much. The fists and feet coming after him. The green suit. The blonde hair. That was all he could think about. Wanting to get away, he stepped back, just as Artemis had stepped toward him. She was surprised by the lack of Arsenal being where he was supposed to be and stumbled. She tried to catch herself by grabbing him but accidentally grabbed his hair. 

The strangled cry that came from Arsenal had Robin running to his brother in an instant. He shoved Artemis out of the way and crouched down in front of Arsenal who was now hyperventilating. He was shaking and a whine was building in his chest. 

“Arsenal,” he said, slowing reaching out. Arsenal flinched away and Robin retracted his hand. “Arsenal-“ He wanted to scream. This wasn’t going to work. He looked back at Kaldur. “Get them out of here!” Kaldur nodded, gesturing to the others to follow him. Wally shot Artemis a dirty look before following. Conner and M’gann were right behind them, the latter using her energy to try and keep out the feelings of panic and fear Arsenal’s mind was projecting. Once they’d all left the room, Robin used his holo-glove to shut down the cameras in the area. Once he was satisfied they were gone, he took his mask off, then slowly reached out and took off Arsenal’s. “Roy, Roy look at me. Focus on your breathing, bro. In…out…in….out….in….out….” 

Roy tried to follow Dick’s instructions. He focused on the ‘R’ emblem on his younger brother’s chest, allowing him to also visually focus on Dick’s breathing. Working extremely hard, he dragged a shallow breath in, then forced it out of his lungs. He did this again, trying to regain control of himself. ‘In…out…in…..out…’ He reached out and held one of Dick’s hands and Dick clutched at it with both of his. 

“What can you see, Roy?”

“See?” Roy asked, voice kind of high and airy. 

“Yes. Five things.”

“Uh….the-the R…. Your-your hands… Your ey-eyes… The floor… My hands….”

“Ok, good job. Keep breathing. In…out…in…out… Four things you can feel.”

“Um…feel… Your hands… The floor… My gloves…. My suit…”

“Great work. You're doing really good, bro. Keep breathing. Don’t stop. In…out…good. Ok, now three things you can hear.”

“Uh….Your voice. My breathing. My-my voice.”

“Alright. Keep breathing, Roy.” Dick waited five seconds while Roy breathed before continuing. “Two things you can smell.”

This forced Roy to inhale through his nose, then exhale as he talked. “Sweat. Cave…stuff.”

“Cave stuff?”

“You know….burnt cookies and mountain.”

Dick snorted a little bit. “You’re having a rough day, so I’ll give you that one. Last one, ok? One thing you can taste.” 

“Uh….I don’t know…sweat I guess?” They were quiet for a minute as Roy focused on his breathing. 

“Do you feel better now?”

“Yeah. I-I do…” He was still shaking a little bit and he was now covered in a cold sweat, but he could think straight and breathe, so it was a lot better. 

“I think we should head home.” Moving slowly, Dick put Roy’s mask back on his face, allowing his older brother to push it on by himself, then pt his own mask on. Now Robin once more, he stood up and allowed Arsenal to lean on him a little bit. It must’ve looked a little odd since he was so much smaller than Arsenal, but he was an acrobat, so he was all set. He put his hand to his comm. “Kaldur, I’m taking Arsenal back to Gotham. I’ll be back.”

“Is he ok?” Kaldur asked, obviously concerned. 

“He’s….he will be. I don’t think he needs to be around….the Cave at the moment.”

“Understood. You said you were coming back?”

“Yeah. I’ll be back as soon as I know he’s settled back home.”

“Understood.” They’d reached the zeta tube by then and he put in their access codes to get them through. They stepped through and were announced as they arrived in Gotham. “Are you all set to ride your bike?”

“…Yeah,” Arsenal replied quietly after a moment. “I’ll be fine.”

“Ok.” Robin watched carefully as Arsenal walked over to his bike. Once he was certain the archer wasn’t going to accidentally crash, Robin got on his own bike and the two of them headed for home. Robin hung back just slightly as they drove so he could watch Arsenal. Thankfully, they made it back to the Bat Cave without further incident. Bruce wasn’t there, having gone to the office for a few hours despite it being Saturday. They park dither bikes and Robin quietly shadowed Arsenal as they changed and put their suits away, then gently took his hand to lead him up the stairs. When they exited in Bruce’ study Alfred was in there dusting and clearly hadn’t expected them home so soon. 

“You’re home early,” he noted, sounding a little concerned and eyes searching for some injury. 

“Roy…had a panic attack.”

“Are you alright, Master Roy?” Roy merely nodded. He didn’t have a lot of energy to do much more. Even talking seemed like to much work. It felt like all of his cells and been zapped of energy; it took all of his concentration just to stay standing. “Perhaps you should go lay down, sir.” Roy nodded again, then shuffled out of the study and toward the stairs. Dick followed, hovering around his brother until he was laying down safely on the bed. He hesitated for a moment, then reached toward and gently rubbed Roy’s back. 

“I’ll be back in a bit.” Roy nodded again. Feeling slightly useless, Dick made a beeline for the cave, just remembering to grab his sunglasses behind him. 

— — 

Back at Mount Justice, almost as soon as they were out of earshot from Robin and Arsenal, Wally turned to Artemis. “What the hell?!” he demanded, throwing his arms in the air. “What’s the matter with you?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Artemis snapped back, using every ounce of control she had to keep her voice from shaking. “Why are you yelling at me?!”

“You- you caused him to have a panic attack!”

“I didn’t know that would happen!”

“Oh yeah, we can tell by how you practically begged to spar him!”

“I just wanted to spar with him! I didn’t know-“

“Enough!” Kaldur cut them both off, holding up one of his hands for emphasis.

“She caused Arsenal to have a panic attack!” Wally shouted. The earn him a look from their leader. 

“I know, but you are not going to accomplish anything by shouting at each other.” He turned to Artemis. 

“Don’t!” Artemis warned, pointing her finger at him. “This isn’t my fault! I didn’t mean to cause him to have a panic attack.”

“Whether you meant for him to have a panic attack or not, he did have one. You were trying to provoke him, were you not?”

“Yes, but I didn’t know doing it would cause a panic attack!”

“Yet you still provoked someone who is supped to be your teammate.” 

That made Artemis scowl at him. “Some teammate! He doesn’t trust me at all. When we stand in a group, he makes sure he’s on the opposite side. If we’re left alone in a room, he leaves. Arsenal doesn’t even like me. So if you want to talk to someone about respecting their teammates, maybe try talking to him too.”

“He has his reasons,” Wally replied evenly arms crossed. “He doesn’t just….not trust you just for the heck of it! He has some legit reasons for it.”

“Which are?” Once again, Kaldur and Wally shared a knowing look; and Artemis swore she saw the speedster’s hand twitch down toward his knee. Neither of them said a word. “Enlightening.” Artemis crossed her arms. “I shouldn’t be forced to like someone who doesn’t like me; especially if I’m not allowed to know the reasons for it.”

“You do not have to like him,” Kaldur told her evenly. “I would never force you to. However, I tried to intervene before your spar, as did Robin. We are both ever close to Arsenal and both us saw that it was a bad idea. We knew it could cause him some mental distress. Yet you continued to push.” Artemis didn’t say anything. “Whether you like him or he likes you, you are not allowed to do something that can cause him emotional distress.” 

“Why though?” Conner asked, causing the other three to look and him and M’gann like they’d forgotten they were there. “Why does he have these panic attacks?”

“We really can’t talk about it,” Wally replied stiffly. 

“Why? Because of Batman?”

“No, although the wrath of the Bat is a good motivator… It’s just not our place.”

“It is not our story to tell,” Kaldur added. 

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” M’gann asked quietly. She wrapped her arms around herself a little bit and Conner frowned in concern, putting a hand on her back. “I could feel the emotions he was projecting when he was having a panic attack— humans tend to do it a lot when they experience strong emotions— and it was all….fear. Fear and worry. He was terrified. And when we’re connected with the mind link…I swear I don’t go looking, but I can just…feel it. Something….in his mind. When we had the mission in Bialya and I resorted our memories, I didn’t take more than I needed but I could some….dark memories in his mind.”

“Dark?” Artemis asked in confusion. 

“There’s a lot of dark emotions surrounding them. Fear. Anger. Sorrow. Regret. That’s what I always feel in his mind. Dark emotions that are being kept on a short leash. I swear, I don’t go looking for this, but I can’t help but sense it. I-I worry about those emotions. Why they’re there. What caused this?”

“They can’t say,” Robin said, suddenly announcing his presence. He walked further into the room and stopped with his arms crossed. “Arsenal’s past is his own. He doesn’t want you to know. You have to respect that.”

“What if it happens again?” Conner asked. “What if he has another panic attack? If we don’t know what’s causing them, we could do something on accident to trigger them.” 

‘That’s actually a good point,’ Robin thought. While he did agree with Conner, that didn’t mean he could violate his brother’s wishes and privacy. So instead, he sighed a little bit. “Maybe don’t actively try to pick fights with him.” This made him look at Artemis. “Before you say anything, I know you didn’t mean to do it, but you still did. He has….issues. I tried to stop you because I knew those issues would be a problem. You’re the one who didn’t listen because you were so focused on trying to pry something personal out of him, or force him into a corner.”

Artemis didn’t like the burning feeling in her stomach. She clenched her fists and turned away so no one could see her hands starting to shake. Wanting out of the room, and the tension that had built up, she stomped out without saying a word to anyone. ’What do I have to be sorry for?!’ she thought as she made a beeline to her bedroom in the Cave. ‘I didn’t do anything! He’s the one who freaked out!’ She slammed the door to her room and punched a wall in frustration. ‘He judges me for hiding things, but he’s hiding something too! I’m not the only one trying to hide my past!’ She growled in frustration, then spun around and threw herself down on the bed. ‘Arsenal is a liar and a hypocrite!’

— — 

Later that day, once Dick had calmed down and returned to the Manor again, he knocked gently on Roy’s door. “Roy?” he ventured. “You in there?” 

“Yeah….” The mere tone of his voice made Dick pause, but then he pushed through; wanting to check on his brother. He opened the door to find Roy sitting on his bed, face almost literally buried in Chamber of Secrets. Dick sighed and walked over slowly. 

“Roy. Roy.” Roy didn’t respond or even reply. “Roy…” Hesitating again, Dick put his hand on the top of the book and slowly lowered it down. “I know where you sleep, you can’t ignore me forever.”

“I’m not…. I just want to be alone,” Roy said quietly, eyes still on the book. 

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah…”

“You sure?” Roy shrugged. “I’m getting mixed messages here, bro.” Another shrug. Dick felt a tinge of irritation in his mind. ‘What’s his problem? His panic attack was over…basically, nothing and he’s just….shutting me out! I thought his therapy was supposed to make these things better.’ Sighing quietly, he forced himself to ignore his irritation. ‘Patience….’ So he stood there quietly and waited for a response. 

“….They were all there, Dick.” 

“Who? The Team?”

“Yeah… They saw me panicking like that. And it wasn’t….as Roy, it was as Arsenal.”

“Roy-“

“I can’t- Dick what am I going to say to them?!”

“Nothing. You don’t have to explain anything. I’ve smoothed things over. It's fine.”

“I don’t want them to know, Dick. I-I don’t want Oliver to ruin this too! If they know they won’t think of me the same because they’ll know what I did and what happened and it’ll ruin everything-“

“Roy! Stop it! You’re overthinking things. No one on the Team is going to treat you different, and if they knew they wouldn’t then either.” 

“You don’t know that….”

Dick hesitated again before he continued. “….Don’t you want to consider maybe telling them?”

“Dick-“

“Kaldur and Wally already know.”

“That’s different.”

“How?!”

“It-it just is!”

“M’gann, Artemis, and Conner spend a lot of time with you, they watch your back in battle. I think it would be good for them to know your triggers so they know what to avoid-“

“No! I can’t!”

“Why not?!”

“I just can’t tell them, Dick! I don’t want them to know or it’ll ruin everything!”

“Roy, you’re being irrational!”

“I don’t care!” Roy reached out and put his hand on Dick’s shoulder. “Please Dick, promise me you won't’ tell them.”

Dick sighed. “Roy-“

“Please!”

“Fine! I won’t tell! I think this is a bad idea mind you, but I won’t tell.”

“Thank you.” 

Waiting to diffuse some of the tension in the room, Dick climbed onto the bed and grab the book. He snuggled up next to Roy against the pillows and started to read out loud. He felt Roy sitting tensely next to him, staring out at the room as he listened. Eventually, Roy calmed down and relaxed. 

‘Dick doesn’t understand,’ he thought as he listened to Dick read. ‘He just doesn’t. I can’t tell them. Why would I? What reason could I have for telling any of them anyways?’


	21. Homefront

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday! But it's up now. Enjoy!

Unfortunately, summer couldn’t last forever and Dick had to return to school. Roy seemed to be the only one upset about this though because Dick was practically bouncing as he fixed the tie on his uniform. 

“High school is going to be the best!” he cheered, eyes focused on his task. “Dances, driving, more advanced classes, more variety of classes-“ He stopped suddenly when he finished with his tie and looked up; seeing Roy as if he was just realizing his brother was there. “Uh….I mean….high school’s really not that great-“

“It’s fine, Dick,” Roy assured him. “You can be excited about going into high school.”

“It’s really not that exciting though. You know, all the middle schoolers think the high school building is really lame anyway, so-“

“Dick, it’s fine. Really.” He wasn’t bothered by Dick’s enthusiasm. While part of him was jealous that his younger brother was going to have all these….exciting experiences Roy never got to have, he was also happy that school was so good for Dick. ‘I don’t want him to take the luxury of having a normal life for granted. He’s lucky he gets to go to school and have all these experiences.’ 

Whether Dick believed him or not was hard to tell, but the teen moved on to texting Barbara Gordon to see where she was meeting him. “What’re you doing today?”

“….Practicing Spanish….practice my archery…maybe work on some new trick arrow designs…”

“You know that’s what you did yesterday, right?”

“Yeah.” He was very aware, but there wasn’t a lot he could do about that. It wasn’t like there was a lot he could do. Not wanting to bum Dick out though, he smiled at him. “It’ll be alright though. I’ll stay busy.”

“Great. Just so you know, I’m going straight to Mount Justice after-school today.”

“I’ll be there….eventually.” Roy had been avoiding the Cave after his panic attack, and he wasn’t eager to return to face his friends. 

“You can’t avoid it forever, bro.”

“I know.”

“We’re leaving, Master Dick,” Alfred informed him. 

“Bye, Roy.” Dick threw his bag over his shoulder, waving to Roy as he left. “See you at Mount Justice this afternoon!”

“See you.” Once Alfred and Dick left, the front door shut and Roy was alone. He sighed a little and slowly shuffled his way up to his bedroom. ‘Spanish. Work out. Lunch. Trick arrow designs. Archery. Reading.’ The same itinerary he’d had the day before and would have tomorrow as well. Once he reached his bedroom he grabbed his Spanish book and sat on his bed. “Fun, fun.” Wanting to put off the boredom, he grabbed his IM device and sent a message to Kaldur. Despite his absolute boredom with the subject, Roy managed to practice his Spanish for two hours before he finally decided he’d had enough. There had still been no reply from Kaldur, so he changed into some workout clothes and headed down to the gym. 

First, he ran roughly five miles on the treadmill, then he lifted weights, then finally practiced acrobatics. The whole time he was there, he worked to banish the lonely and pointless feeling. He tried to keep his mind on what he was doing. Still feeling antsy once he’d finished practicing backflips and cartwheels, miming his bow actions as he did, Roy hopped back on the treadmill. Running gave him something to focus on; something physically he could actually do. 

‘It’s kind of ironic in a way,’ he thought as he bumped up the speed so he was practically sprinting. ‘My whole life feels like it’s on a treadmill. running, running, running, never going anywhere. Reliving traumatic memories and fighting crime. Over and over and core again. Nothing ever changing! With Arsenal as the only person my friends know and Roy becoming a distant memory and it’s all because of Oliver-‘ Wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice his foot slipped, so he as extremely surprised when he was launched backward. He fell on his back, thankfully not on the treadmill, and stared up at the chilling for a moment, trying to catch his breath. Closing his eyes, Roy took several, slow deep breaths. 

Moving with deliberation, he suddenly launched himself to his feet and turned the treadmill off. He took a deep swing of his water bottle before leaving the gym. Trying to move faster than his thoughts, Roy practically ripped his clothes off when he reached his bedroom and hopped in the shower. Once he was under the hot spray, he sighed and felt his muscles relax a little bit. Roy’s forehead fell against the wall of the shower. “Calm down,” he whispered to himself. “Calm down…you know how poisonous anger is. You need to calm down.” He continued to breathe until his thoughts had calmed down and his sudden burst of anger had receded. After that, he quickly cleaned himself up, then left the shower. Once he was dried off and clothed again, Roy sat down on the floor in the middle of his room. He looked around. 

‘What’s really so bad?’ he thought. ‘I have everything here. I eat three meals a day, every day. No one hits me. No one insults me. I don’t have to kill people. I’m not being locked in small spaces. No one threatens to kill or hurt me. My injuries are always tended to. I had an education. I might not like Spanish, but Bruce still wants me to learn things. I’m allowed to be on a Team with friends. I mean…even if they only know me as Arenal, at least I get to see them. And I have my…other friends…’ He glanced at where the phone Bruce had allowed him to keep was hidden in his desk. ‘I’ve been allowed to go out at least once.’ Overall, it wasn’t horrible. Roy sighed. ‘I have everything I ever wanted when I was living with Oliver. I’m safe. So….why can’t I just be happy? Yeah, I don’t have everything I want, but why should that upset me? I already have so much to be thankful for. Why should I go looking for something more? This is as good as it gets.’

Roy nodded. “This is as good as it gets,” he repeated out loud. “This is as good as it gets.” Nodding to himself, Roy stood up and went downstairs for lunch. Alfred noticed how quiet he seemed, but didn’t press it. Roy was thankful for this as he didn’t feel like explaining the semi-breakdown he’d just had. Trying to focus on his ‘Be happy with what you have’ mindset, Roy ate lunch, then went back to his room to draw out trick arrow designs. By now he had a notebook full of designs, some silly and just him wasting time and others were more serious designs he hoped to incorporate in the field one day. In his mind, the possibilities were endless and imaging the possibilities was one of his favorite pastimes. As such, Roy spent a couple of hours working through designs. By the time he finished, he looked at the clock and realized Dick had probably come home and gone to Mount Justice by now. 

‘I’ll head over soon,’ he thought. ‘I just want to practice my archery and do some maintenance on my trick arrows. I’ll be there soon enough.’

Soon enough turned into almost three hours later. Roy tried to justify this to himself as he changed into his suit with the fact that maintaining his trick arrows were extremely important and he couldn’t skip corners, and he would never try to say no to Alfred when the butler insisted he eat before he leaves. ‘No one says no to Alfred,’ he thought as he made sure his quiver was secure, then headed over to his bike. ‘Not even Bruce. Can’t argue with that.’ As he drove to the zeta tube, he wondered what he was going to say to his friends. Kaldur excluded, he hadn’t talked to any of them since his panic attack. ‘I would have to face them eventually,’ he thought. ‘Focus on something else. I get to see Kal, and I can ask him why he didn’t message me today. Even if he’s busy he usually tells me at least that.’ Arriving at the zeta tube location, he secured and hid his bike, then slipped around the corner…coming face to face with Artemis. 

Arsenal opened his mouth, then closed it again, Artemis merely crossed her arms. Neither of them said anything for several seconds. 

“We should…go to the Cave,” Arsenal said quietly. 

“Uh…yeah…” Artemis agreed. However, neither of them moved. 

“um, …ladies first.”

“You-you can go first.” 

Arsenal swallowed, then nodded. He forced himself to focus on the zeta and not the voice in his head that was yelling for him not to turn his back to her. 

“Arsenal, B-04.” Stepping out of the zeta, Arsenal was immediately aware that something was wrong. There was smoke covering the main cavern. ‘What-‘ A fireball came at him and he somersaulted to the side. “Artemis, B-07.” From the corner of his eye, he saw the tell-tale glow of Artemis arriving in the zeta, then the fireball heading towards her. 

“Down!” he shouted. Artemis ducked and the fireball missed her. Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot it at a far wall. The arrow exploded in the air, creating shockwaves that pushed the smoke away. Unfortunately, it didn’t reveal to him who their assailants were. Artemis also started firing off arrows, but neither of them could see what they were shooting at. Distantly, Roy thought he heard the sound of an arrow hitting something metal. Before he could think on it any farther though, another fireball came flying toward them. They both hit the ground. Arsenal thought he could see two silhouettes coming at them through the smoke. 

“Who are we fighting?!” Artemis asked as she kept firing arrows. 

“No clue! We’re sitting ducks by these tubes! Head for the exit!” They started running, Artemis firing arrows to cover their escape. A blast of fire missed them again as they escaped into a side tunnel, only for a wave of water to meet them in that tunnel. “Or not…” They turned back toward the main cavern, but the wave hit them within a few steps. Somehow the entire tunnel was filled with water, making Arsenal panic slightly; since he still wasn’t that good of a swimmer. He and Artemis were dragged down the tunnel by a small current and thrown into the metal wall. He grunted and slid to the floor, glad he could finally breathe again. They got to the feet and took off running again, just as another fireball almost hit them. Arsenal practically dove to the ground to pick up his bow and nocked an arrow. He fired it over his shoulder as he and Artemis kept running. A fire tornado came to life behind them, the heat nipping at their heels as they sprinted away. ‘What the heck?! What’s going on?!’ 

They eventually made it through a door and into the gym of the Cave. Arsenal put his hand to his comm. “Arsenal to Team,” he said. “Robin?! Aqualad?!” Unknown to him, Artemis was trying to reach M’gann in her mind. Before they got an answer though, the doors were blown open, knocking the two archers off their feet. But they were soon back other feet and running away again. Glancing back, Arsenal could see the fire tornado was chasing them again. ‘This is so weird!’ They turned down a hall and Arsenal put his hand on his comm again. “Arsenal to Bat Cave. Override RG4.” They entered the shower room and with a single look at each other, they split up to the separate sides. “Cave calling Justice League. HOJ/Watchtower. B-04. Priority Red.” As he talked they both moved down the shower head, turning them on as they went. That done, he frowned as he received no reply from any member of the League. “Comms are dead. Blocked.” He pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bow. “At least the water’s helping.” 

As soon as he finished his sentence, there was a loud creaking noise from the walls. The nobs were suddenly shooting off and water spray though, The same thing started happing to the shower heads. “….or not.” The room quickly, way too quickly started to fill with water. Once again, Arsenal had to resist the urge to panic. Thinking fast, he pulled an explosive arrowhead from his quiver. He shot it at the wall, aiming for just above the rising water level. A hole opened in the wall from the explosion, causing the water to drain out. Arsenal and Artemis both coughed and hacked a little bit. ‘Something is seriously wrong here…’ Their resting didn’t last long though, because within a second they were running again. 

“We need to get lost,” Arsenal said as they arrived in the kitchen. 

“The air vent!” Artemis suggested after a second. 

“…..” Arsenal hesitated. Then he remembered the fire tornado and apparently living water that were chasing them, and swallowed his anxiety. “Good idea.” Trying to delay the inevitable, Arsenal quickly hooked his holo glove up to the small computer terminal on the wall. ‘Where’s Dick when I need him?’ A pang of worry went through him when he thought about his brother. ‘I need to focus. I can’t save him if I don’t focus on the task at hand.’ 

“What are you doing?” 

“Downloading cave blueprints. Could come in-“ The sound of footsteps coming down the hall made him stop. Arsenal detached himself from the terminal quickly and ran toward the stove, where Artemis had removed the cover from the vent. “Go! Go!” His voice had dropped into a whisper as Artemis pull herself inside. Arsenal followed suit, pulling himself up into the vent. As they crawled along the vents, Arsenal pulled up the blueprints he’d downloaded to give his mind something to focus on besides the small space he was currently in. “Go left.” Just as they turned the corner, flames filled the vent they’d just been in. “Too close. Take the first right.” They turned again and he brought up the blueprints again. “There should be a vent cover right in front of you.” When they reached the cover, Artemis removed it and they dropped into a large room below their catwalk. He looked at the blueprints again. “This way.” They ran down the steps to another catwalk a level lower. A loud crash behind them caused them to stop and look back. The dark silhouette of a person who was apparently on fire had landed on the first catwalk. 

The person looked around, then raised their arms. The fire rose to the ceiling and read with impossible speed. Artemis and Arsenal hid among the boilers. The heat of the flames was quickly becoming overwhelming. Arsenal glanced around and felt dread toast his stomach. A sensor on the outside of the boiler in front of them was indicating the temperature was getting too high. “That’s not good,” he muttered. They started running again, spiriting for the exit. Steam started bursting out of pipes around them. The Fire Person shot flame sown at them, but they missed as the two archers hid among more machinery; Armies ducking in just as another fireball almost hit her. Arsenal pulled up his blueprints again. “I know there has to be an access tunnel around here somewhere…” From the corner of his eye, he saw Artemis moving. He looked up and saw she was standing by an open vent cover. 

“You mean this one?” she asked. Instead of replying, Arsenal pulled another explosive arrow from his quiver. Artemis jumped down into the hole and he shot the arrow at the piece of machinery he had been hiding behind; then jumped down into the hole. He landed in the tunnel and saw a box that looked familiar. 

“Hold on.” He pried it open with the edge of an arrowhead. Inside was a bunch of ports and he connected his holo glove to one. “Losing out the Caves heat and motion sensors to prevent the enemy from finding us.” He knew he had Dick to thank for his increased knowledge of how to do this kind of thing. Thinking of his young brother made his chest twist, but he shook his head. ‘Focus.’ 

“Again, I ask, who is the enemy?!”

“Let’s find out.” He started typing. “Downloading Cave security footage…” The archer’s fingers fumbled a little bit as he struggled. ‘Dick would be so much better at this…’ He bit the inside of his lip. ‘No! I have to stay focused! I won’t find him and help him if I can’t figure out who we’re fighting!’ On the plus side, some part of him reasoned that the fire and water abilities of their opponent— or opponents— meant he could probably rule out Oliver as a suspect. “There!” Arsenal felt a moment of pride that he’d managed to retrieve the footage. Artemis moved closer to him, a movement that made Arsenal tense, but they both stayed focused on the small screen. 

In the footage, they could see their teammates standing around a motorcycle that Robin and Kid Flash were trying to fix. 

“Torque wrench,” Wally said, then immediately after M’gann floated the tool to him. “Thank you, green cheeks.” Robin made a sudden, sharp move to the side and Kid Flash cried out. 

“I have been meaning to ask,” Kaldur said, automatically drawing Arsenal’s attention. “Have any of you been having a problem juggling schoolwork with your responsibilities here?”

“No,” Superboy replied.

“Juggling is just one of my many talents,” Kid Flash assured their leader. “Socket wrench.” 

“Daily cheerleading practice has presented a challenge,” M’gann said, almost absentmindedly. “O-of course my first loyalty is always to the team. This Team, not the bumblebees.” 

“School is never an issue for me,” Robin added, leaning so close Arsenal had to assume he was critiquing Kid Flash’s work. 

‘What about Arsenal?”

“He’s….fine. Don’t worry, this team is everything to him.”

“Artemis starts school today,” Kaldur said slowly, a little too slowly for both archers. “Do you think she’ll have trouble maintaining her loyalties?” Artemis’ eyes narrowed and she leaned in a little at the implication. 

“Ah, I think she’ll manage alright,” Kid Flash said, standing. He held out his hand to Robin. “I mean, how much more hostile and annoying can she-“ His stance cut off because as soon as he pulled Robin up, an explosion off-screen knocked everyone off their feet and obscured the camera. Arsenal’s chest contracted a little as his mind kept replaying his younger brother disappearing in the explosion. 

“What happened?!” Artemis demanded quietly. 

“Explosion… I think it got the camera. I…I think I’ll find another angle.” Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to work. The first angle he brought up, showed several water funnels emerge in the hangar, and one goes straight for the camera. In the second he could see their friends, and his anxiety lifted a little when he saw Robin stand- only to be knocked off his feet by another huge wave. A third angle showed Aqualad back on his feet and running up some steps with his water bearers up, Miss Martian right behind him. Another wave came at the two of them though, taking out the camera with it. Arsenal sighed. “They’re all dead…” He could actually feel the look Artemis was giving him. “The cameras! I meant the cameras!” There was no reason to think about his bother and best friend being dead. “I”m sure the others are ok. Just….give me a sec to find the fastest route to the hangar. 

“Yeah, fine.” Artemis moved to sit against the side of the vent. “They’ve all got superpowers. They can handle anything.” Her voice was a little desperate. 

Having too many things to focus on at the moment, Arsenal kept his attention on his task. “Got it.” He started moving, leaving Artemis to follow him. They moved silently, both too preoccupied with their own thoughts. Eventually, Arsenal reached the exit, using an arrowhead to pry the panel up, then shoved it away. They leaped down into the library of the mountain. “There’s a secret passage behind one of these bookcases.” Arsenal jumped the railing of the stairs and Artemis followed.

“Seriously?! Cliche much?”

Arsenal scoffed a little. “You should see the Bat Cave.” That response surprised him a little bit. ‘Why am I being friendly with her? Not trustworthy, remember?’ He shook his head a little as they walked. ‘Focus on helping Robin. Remember what Batman said. Robin is my responsibility when we’re with the Team.’ While on the one hand, Batman had said he wouldn’t throw Arsenal out; there was no telling what he’d do if the archer failed to protect his son. It made his heart pound a little bit to think- A loud creak knocked him out of his thoughts. Both archers pulled an arrow from their quivers and nocked them. They waited a second before running and hiding among the shelves. There were heavy, metal footsteps walking toward them. 

“Artemis, Arsenal,” a mechanical, slightly familiar voice said. 

“It’s Red Tornado!” Artemis hissed. Before Arsenal could stop her, she moved around the shelf to reveal herself. As soon as the android stepped into the light, Arsenal moved, dragging Artemis to the ground. 

“Yes on the red, no on the tornado!” he shouted, somersaulting to break his fall and dragging his companion behind him. They started running, only for another android, which was definitely not Red Tornado, to step out of the shadows. The archers took a hard right, just as the second android started shooting fire at them. Thinking quickly. Arsenal launched himself up onto the bookshelf. 

“What are they?!” Artemis followed him, leaping from bookshelf to bookshelf as they ran. The fire set off the sprinklers and Arsenal pulled another exploding arrow from his quiver. He jumped down, twisting to shoot at the androids when he was in the air. Peeking around the bookshelf, he managed to see that his arrow hadn’t been effective. He quickly turned to the shelf in front of him and looked for the book he needed. There was a loud crashing noise behind him. Finding the book, Arsenal pulled on it. The passage spend and Artemis leaped in, Arsenal slipping in as the shelf behind them came down on them. They sprinted down the steps and through the passage; the bookcase closing behind them. “Did you know Tornado had…siblings?!”

“No!” They soon reached a ’T’ intersection in the passage and Arsenal moved to go right, but Artemis grabbed his arm. Flinching a little, Arsenal quickly jerked himself free. 

“So now what?! Red Tornado is one of the powerhouses of the League! How are we supposed to take down two of him!”

“They did seem pretty user unfriendly.” The bad pun made Arsenal think of his brother but also felt Robin would be proud of him, and he was desperate for anything that could help him stay calm. 

“This is no time to joke! They-“

“Attention, Arsenal,” said a mechanical voice, interrupting Artemis. “Attention, Artemis. You have exactly ten minutes to surrender, or the lives of your teammates will be extinguished.” The archers gave each other worried looks. “Nine minutes and forty-five seconds.”

“We need to move.” They started running down the passage again. Arsenal’s mind started trying to find a way. anyway, to save Robin and Kaldur; and the others. 

“Eight minutes.”

“We can access the hangar from here.” They stopped and Artemis glanced back and gassed. A wave of water was rushing down the passage toward them. “Or not.”

“Can you stop saying that!” Artemis snapped as they started spiriting again. Unfortunately, they weren’t fast enough, and the wave knocked them off their feet. The water soon overtook them and Arsenal once again found himself struggling in the current. ‘Wait! My re-breather!’ Feeling like an idiot for not realizing it sooner, he pulled the small metal device out of one of his pouches. He stuck it in his mouth and took a few deep breaths. Seeing Artemis struggling, he took it out of his own mouth and put it in hers. She gave him a grateful and slightly surprised look, but before they could move, Artemis was dragged backward. The water android was there, holding her ankle. Seeing one of her arrows floating, Arsenal grabbed it and Artemis locked eyes with him for a moment. Moving in tandem, she dragged Arsenal toward the android. He stabbed the arrow into the machine’s eye and her ankle was free. 

Wanting to get away, Arsenal shot a grapple arrow at the wall of an intersection ahead. The line dragged them forward and he just managed to set off one of the exploding arrows, which set off a few others that had floated out of his quiver. It knocked the android back and Arsenal wrapped an area round Artemis. If they hadn’t been in such a life or death situation, he might’ve noticed that this was the first time he could be near her and not freak out. However, his mind was more focused on how to get them out of the water. Going through the blueprints in his mind, he found a route that could work. ‘Whatever, we need to move. Now.’ Lungs now starting to burn, he started kicking. The burning in his lungs was causing small, tendrils of panic on the edges of his brain, but he forced himself to keep going. ‘Just kick up! Just keep kicking!’ Using his legs to propel himself forward, he kept kicking towards the light head.

Just as they got close to the surface, Artemis pushed away from him. Their heads broke the surface of the water, both of them coughing— Artemis after spitting out the rebreather— and hacking up water. Gulping down air, Arsenal felt a little better. However, this feeling didn’t last long, as someone shouted, “Look out!” They looked up and saw a fireball coming towards them. Both archers pushed themselves away from each other; narrowly avoiding death again. A second one flew at them, and Armies moved first. She grabbed Arsenal, dragging him down under the water and to the side. She dragged him along, Arsenal thinking ‘kick, kick, kick,’ as they swam under the water. Seeing the lower bodies of three of their friends, they headed in that direction. Popping back above the water, Arsenal felt a surge of relief to see that Robin was still alive. He was glued to Kid Flash and Superboy with glue that looked a lot like the kind Arsenal used in his arrows, but he was alive.

“You guys ok?” Robin asked, intense gaze on his brother betraying who he was really concerned about. 

“Fine,” Arsenal replied, voice a little strained. So many stressors and triggers in such rapid succession were starting to take their toll, but there was still work to be done, so he tried to keep himself focused on that. “We’ll get you guys out of this-“

“Forget us!” Superboy snapped at him. “Help M’gann!” He nodded his head up at the second level, where ethyl could see the edge of a fire cage. 

“Aqualad’s up there too,” Robin warned Arsenal, feeling his heart actually break a little at the look of terror on his older brother’s face. 

“Aqualad!” Artemis shouted up to him. “Is she…?”

“She is unconscious!” Aqualad yelled back, voice strained and in obvious pain. Arsenal almost flinched and clenched his fists a little bit. “I fear she- we cannot survive much longer…” 

‘No!’ Arsenal thought, panic surging through him. 

“Look out!” Robin shouted. Arsenal turned his head to see another fireball coming for his head and suddenly he was back under the water. Nodding his head in the direction of the stairs, Artemis started dragging him in that direction. Arsenal helped as much as he could; kicking out with his feet as they went. He was a lot happier though when they reached shallower waters and could run up the steps. They both glances back at the water, neither of them trusting it, but there was another sound from the top of the stairs that made them slowly turn back. Android Number 2— or Fire Android— was flying down to the top of the steps. She ended and held up her hands by her head; a flame in each hand. 

“I’m almost out of arrows,” Artemis said, looking back at Arsenal. He glanced back at his own quiver and saw it was depressingly low on projectiles. 

“Ok….distract her, now! Here!” Arsenal yelled as he threw her an arrow. He waited for a moment, coinciding his sneaking off with the moment Artemis’ arrow hit the android. It created a cloud of smoke in her face. Arsenal turned back to the water where Water Android was slowly walking out of it. Reaching into one of his pouches, he pulled out a few emergency bat-a-rangs and threw them. They bounced off the android’s chest harmlessly, one even careening off to the glue holding Kid Flash, Robin, and Superboy. Moving backward, Arsenal reached out until he touched Artemis. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed her hand, then pulled her off the side of the stairs. Just as they dove off, the fire and water met each other. Once they hit the water, Artemis wrapped an arm around Arsenal and started pulling him down with her. He kicked his legs and soon saw a grate in the wall. He points to it, but Artemis was already heading in that direction. 

When they reached it, she briefly let go of Arsenal so he could pull it out, then she pulled him through. They soon entered a circular tunnel, swimming up past pipes until their heads popped out of the water. Arsenal helped her get up into one of the bents before he followed himself. They were both gasping and shaking as they leaned against the walls. Lungs aching, Arsenal coughed a little and reminded himself to stay focused on his mission. Stop the androids, save his Team and Robin. 

“Six minutes,” a robotic voice said. 

Arsenal and Artemis looked at each other. “What do we do now?!” the latter demanded. 

“We save them,” Arsenal replied simply, taking his quiver off so he could inventory his remaining arrows. “That’s how it works.”

“Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to work, but those robots took out our four superpowered friends! And Robin! So clearly not having powers doesn’t work either!”

“…..You’re distraught.”

“Distraught?! M’gann is dying! We have no powers and I’m down to my last arrow!” She pulled the arrow out and showed him. “Of course I’m distraught!”

Arsenal frowned a little. “Well get traught or get dead.” Some part of him felt happy at how proud Dick would be of him, but that also reminded him of his time-sensitive mission. He turned to start crawling down the vent. 

“How can you be so calm?!”

“….Practice.” Granted, he wasn’t used to super-powered androids, but he knew a thing or two about being against someone who was bigger, stronger, and better. This wasn’t a fear that was new to him. ‘Not this time. I’m not a kid anymore. I have to save Dick and Kal. I have to help them.’ He kept crawling and could hear Artemis following. “I know a thing or two about unfair odds. Besides, Robin is my brother, I won’t leave him behind.”

“What good is that now?! What chance do we have against unrelenting machines?” Her words made Arsenal stop. 

“Oh….duh! They’re machines. And one electromagnetic pulse will shut down any machine within range.”

“Great! Except you better have an EMP emitter in your quiver, because I definitely don’t have one in mine!” 

“Fresh out….but I’m betting I can make one.” He put his hand to his comm. “You hear that, Rob?”

“We hear you,” Robin replied in a whisper, speaking into the bat-a-rang between his and Kid Flash’s head. “You could totally build one.”

“Agreed,” Kid Flash whispered. 

“Five minutes,” the robotic voice said. 

“Just…uh…make it fast, yeah?” 

“Count on it.” Arsenal started crawling again, occasionally looking at his blueprints so he could locate the room he needed. He could still feel the apprehension coming off of Artemis. ‘I understand she’s scared, but we still have to move. I’m not leaving them to die.’ He was also scared, but his determination to save his friends and brother was far stronger. 

“Med lab, x-ray machine.” They reached the desired room and Arsenal moved a penal on the wall to let them crawl in. He snuck across the floor to the x-ray machine and knelt down in front of it. “There’s a panel where you’ll find a vacuum tube called a verciator that converts high energy impulses. Reprogram the units microwave conversions and x-rays to EMPs with the cascading energy factor directed outward.” The instructions were coming quick, but Arsenal could keep up. Taking in information and making snap responses was one of his best qualities as a fast archer. 

“Use your holo-glove,” Robin advised, only for Arsenal to interrupt him. 

“I know, Rob.” This part wasn’t unlike when he built his electroshock arrow. Once he’d done as Kid Flash said, he carefully removed the vacuum tube. “It’s a ripple effect. Like dropping a stone in a pond.”

“A stone with the 1012 power wattage, yeah.”

“So I’ll need to hook it up to the cave’s main generator.”

“Which is where?” Artemis asked. 

“…..the hangar.”

“Of course. So I assume you want us to go back to the room with the super-powered robots trying to kill us?”

Arsenal wanted to ask her if she had a better way to save their teammates but felt that would just waste time. They needed to get moving. “Yes.” Holding tightly to his potential EMP device, he crawled back into the tunnel. Artemis hesitated for only a second before grabbing his bow and following him. Arsenal had to use his elbows and knees to crawl, which got significantly harder when their tunnel took an uphill route at one point. He kept going through, mentally reminding himself Dick was about to drown and Kaldur was about to burn to death. Grizzly deaths for two of the people he cared most for. ‘No,’ he thought as the tunnel finally leveled out. ‘I won’t let that happen, I’ll save them. I have to.’ When they finally reached the hangar, Artemis moved forward to slide the panel to the side so they could drop to the ground. They stuck close to the wall as they moved toward an opening, overlooking the hangar. “Ok, make with the distraction.” 

“Hey, Red Tomato! Who’s your girlfriend, Red Onion?!” Wally shouted so loudly Arsenal and Artemis could hear his voice from their hiding place. 

“Yeah!” Superboy joined in. “And by the way, worst death trap ever!”

“We can totally escape anytime we want!” Robin added. 

‘Whatever works,’ Arsenal thought as he and Artemis dashed to the other side of the opening in the wall. 

“I can vibrate my molecules out of here before your binary brains can count to two!” Wally shouted. 

“Cover me,” Arsenal whispered to Artemis and she nodded. He took a grapple rope from a pouch. He attached it to the wall, then slid down on the rope and swung to the main generator while Superboy was bragging about not needed to breathe air. 

“And you think Batman didn’t train me to hold my breath for long periods of time?!” Robin yelled.

‘Please don’t give them any ideas, Dick.’ 

“And Miss Martian?!” Kid Flash continued as Arsenal put the EMP emitter into the generator. “I can’t beehive you’re buying her act!”

“Re-routing power now.” His voice carried through his comm to his teammates. 

“Yeah!” Robin agreed. “Do you know how hot it is in the caves of Mars?!”

“It’s not working…”

“That cage is just making her homesick!” Superboy added. “Duh!” 

While his friends laughed, Arenal studied his device and noticed a problem. “The circuit isn’t complete.” He opened one of his pouches. “I need something conductible-“

“Arsenal, look out!” Arsenal looked up just in time to see a huge wave coming toward him. Before he could even close his mouth, the water hit him. Artemis watched as he disappeared in the water, and shot her last arrow at the android. It missed and Fire Android started shooting flames at flame thrower level at her. Artemis dove to the side and, after a moment of hesitation and reaching for arrows that weren’t there, turned and ran. She climbed back into the tunnel, but the fire followed her; forcing her to retreat. Crawling in the tunnel, there was a small hole where she could see down into the cavern. A quiet gasp escaped her and she even shrunk down a little bit. Down below her, Water Android was levitating Arsenal in the water. The other archer was very clear unconscious, his quiver, and bow both long gone. She crawled away from the hole upon seeing how not alive he looked. 

Artemis curled up against the far wall of the tunnel. In her mind she could see her teammates, all about to die— or potentially dead already— and she curled up, knees up to her chest. All of her teammates, including Arsenal, who was actually very smart and good at this, weren’t able to help her. She was an archer with no arrows and a hero with much less experience than the other non-super powered ones. The weight of her situation was crushing her as she pulled her body into a tight ball. “No, no, no, no, no…” she sobbed quietly, desperately wishing for a solution. 

Down in the hangar, meanwhile, the android lowered Arsenal’s body onto the floor. He lay there,e completely still and barely breathing. Aqualad’s eyes flutter briefly, but his brain didn’t have enough energy to recognize what was going on. Robin, on the other hand, was having no such difficulties. 

“Arsenal!” he shouted, squirming and craning his neck to try and see his brother. “Arsenal! Arsenal!” 

Up in the tunnel, Artemis was trying to think of an escape. “I surrender,” she murmured, “I die with the others. But if I find a way out….out of the cave…” She started crawling, “out of the mountain…I can get help.” She nodded to herself. “Call in the League- ah!” The tunnel had taken a sudden turn downward, resulting in a drop that she stumbled down. It was a rough fall, causing her to bang into the sides of the tunnel multiple times before crashing through a grate and into what Wally had deemed the Team’s souvenir room. “Who am I kidding?” Artemis rubbed her shoulder, voice completely defeated. 

“Three minutes,” the robotic voice warned. 

“Best I can do is hide. Hope the League finds me before the Reds.” Her eye caught something shiny and she stood up. Wally’s souvenirs were all lined up on a shelf. Artemis stood, then slowly walked until she was standing in front of Cheshire’s mask. “I know you understand.” Unhappy and unwanted memories were brought to the surface, reminding Artemis of her life-long philosophy; a harsh lesson only experience could’ve taught. But it also made her think of Arsenal and Robin. How Robin seemed to do nothing but protect and defend Arsenal, despite being the younger sibling. And earlier, Arsenal’s will and determination to save his younger brother; even if it cost him his own life. Even if he was afraid and just an archer with no special powers. 

“In this family, it’s every girl for herself,” her older sister’s voice echoed in her mind. 

“Maybe in our family that was true…” Something she could never image Arsenal saying to Robin. The thought made her tighten her grip on the mask and raise her head. “But I have a new family now. And here we’re all for one and-“

“One minute,” the robotic voice warned. 

Artemis returned the mask to its place, then saw what was next to it. She picked up the arrow and her mouth formed a line. 

— — 

Moving with grim determination, Artemis stepped out of the elevator and put her hands up. “I surrender,” she said as the two androids looked at her. “Stop the clock.” Her voice caused Aqualad to raise his head and try to push himself up, but he didn’t have the energy to do little more than roll over. Down below, the water level was now reaching over the trapped here’s heads. 

“Arsenal-“ Robin gasped, quickly taking in a deep breath as the water engulfed his head. 

As Artemis walked closer, she glanced at Arsenal, who was still not moving and not showing visible signs of breathing. Turning her gaze back on the androids, she inhaled through her nose to steady her nerves….then moved. She jumped up as soon as she was within range and kicked them in their heads. She used their sold faces as spring broads to launch herself backward and shoot the arrow. It missed the androids but hit its true target. The slim space below the EMP emitter, completing the circuit. Within a few seconds there was a whirring noise and the two androids both speed, then dropped to the ground; completely powered down. The fiery cage disappeared and the water leveled receded. Kid Flash, Superboy, and Robin all gasped in relief, taking in a deep breath of sweet air. 

“Kaldur!” Superboy yelled up to him. “How’s M’gann?!”

Kaldur looked down at her. “She breathes! I believe she will recover.” He looked over at Arsenal and his heart stopped. “What of Arsenal?” Artemis ran to the other archer while Robin tried, desperately, to get himself free. 

“Is he ok?!” Robin shouted. “Is he breathing?! He’s breathing, right?!”

Artemis knelt down next to Arsenal, hesitating before she gently put her hands on him. He suddenly coughed, hacking up late,r then made a very addable inhale. “He’s breathing!” she yelled back, relief evident in her voice. 

Arsenal’s head turned to her and he opened his eyes…then he smiled at her. “Way to get traught,” he whispered; clearly impressed. Artemis fell back in relief, sighing. It was over. They’d won. Arsenal pushed himself to his feet, then practically stumbled over to Aqualad and M’gann. The latter was just coming around and Artemis put an arm around M’gann to steady her as she sat up. 

“Are you ok?” 

“A little weak,” M’gann replied shakily. “But my strength’s returning quickly.” 

Arsenal, meanwhile, was hugging Kaldur fiercely. “I had complete faith in you, my friend,” Kaldur said truthfully. “I knew you would find a way to save us.”

“Well….it wasn’t all me,” Arsenal admitted, glancing over at Artemis. He helped Kaldur stand and they, as well as Artemis and M’gann, started making their way to the steps. They walk down them slowly, but by the time they were on ground level, Kaldur and M’gann were strong enough to stand on their own. 

“Arsenal!” Robin shouted in relief. Tension fell from Arsenal’s shoulders as he practically ran to Robin and grabbed his brother’s hand. “You’re ok?!”

“I’m ok, Robin.”

“But I saw the wave hit you and-“

“And it pretty much disarmed me. I figured my best chance was to “surrender”, so I pretended to drown before I actually did. I did blackout though.” His confession made Kaldur squeeze his shoulder and Robin clutched at his hand; like he was trying to break the archer’s fingers. 

“But M’gann…” Conner whispered as he reached for he hand. 

“I’ll be fine,” M’gann whispered, her voice still weak. 

“Will you quit playing with that thing and cut us free already!” Kid Flash snapped at Artemis, who’d picked up some kind of handheld device. 

"It's not working, genius!” she snapped. “EMP’s shut down all machines. Remember?”

“All machines present at the time,” a mechanical, but very familiar voice said. Red Tornado flew into the room and landed new to the gathered Team. “What has occurred?”

“We had a little visit from your family,” Arsenal explained. 

“Your extremely nasty family!” Artemis added. 

“I was not aware I had relations,” Red Tornado replied, walking toward the two powered-down androids. 

“Where have you been?” Superboy asked. 

“Monitor duty on the Watchtower. When it became clear Cave communications were down, I attempted to investigate. But your tea tubes were also non-functional. So I transported to Providence and proceeded here.” 

Sphere wiggled around a little bit, then dislodged himself from the wall. He seemed to shake up dusty and dirt when he landed. 

“Hey boy,” Superboy remarked tiredly. At the same moment, the plasma cannon in Artemis’ hands fired a blast. 

“The pulse has worn off,” Kid Flash and Arsenal said at the same time. They all looked to the androids, waiting to see what would happen. Suddenly, Red Tornado stood form here he’d courted down next to one of them. Putting his hands up, he created two funnels that started quickly sucking the air from the room. One by one, the teens all started clothing their throats. Arsenal dropped to his knees as his ribs constricted against his chest and he fought to inhale. Panic suddenly attacked every corner of his mind as a too-familiar-feeling of his lungs burning took over his body. 

“Can’t…breathe…” he barely heard Artemis gasp before he fell over and everything went black. 

— — 

“Arsenal,” a voice said. “Arsenal. Arsenal-“ Arsenal gasped as he shot into a sitting position, arms going numb and his breaths coming in hyperventilating gasps. His body shook with violent tremors as he felt the unmistakable weight of hands crushing his throat. “Arsenal, breathe! Breath, slowly.” Two hands wrapped around his wrists and he tried to divert his attention to that. “In…out…in….out…in…out…” Arsenal slowly dragged air in, then out of his lungs. As he did the shaking slowly stopped and feeling returned to his arms; as did his awareness. He was sitting on the ground with Batman crouching in front of him. Over the Bat’s shoulder, he could see Robin giving him a worried look from he was still trapped. “Arsenal.” Batman’s voice caused the archer to look at him. “Are you ok?”

“Mhm…” Arsenal hummed, not trusting his voice. He felt exhausted and weak, but not like he was being strangled; although the lingering fear still had small tendrils wrapped around his brain. Trying to ground himself, he looked at what was going on. Flash appeared to be trying to free Kid Flash, Superboy, and Robin. Aquaman had his hands on Aqualad’s shoulders; his face prominent with worry. Just off to Arsenal’s right, Artemis was standing, being supported by Superman. Black Canary stood on her other side. 

“What happened?” Superman asked. 

“What happened?!” Artemis repeated in disbelief. “Reds happened! Tornado and his- Wait!” She looked around. “Where are they?”

“Gone,” Robin told her as he managed to pull himself free after Flash’s help. Batman reached out a hand for him to steady himself on. “All three of them, gone.” 

‘This day sucks,’ Arsenal thought, feeling exhausted to his bones. ‘Can I just…curl up and sleep forever?’ 

Batman must’ve surmised his thoughts with a look, because he then said, “All of you should go get some rest. We’ll debrief you about this tomorrow.”

“Don’t gotta tell me twice,” Kid Flash muttered, now free of the glue. He stumbled away from his uncle, then toward their rooms. Arsenal pushed himself to his feet and followed. He passed Kaldur, who was still taking to Aquaman in Atlantean. If the tones of their voices were anything to go by, Aquaman was extremely concerned about Kaldur. 

‘That’s good,’ Arsenal thought. ‘That’s good that Aquaman is worried about him.’ Once he got down to the hall where their rooms were, somehow without falling on his face, he passed by his own. How relieved Artemis had been to see he was alive and how she’d followed his lead and helped him swim through the crisis kept popping up in his mind. Sighing a little, he leaned against the door to wait. M’gann passed him and gave him a small smile. She reached out telepathically, which sent a small vibe of reassurance and gratitude to his brain. He smiled in return and included his head. Superboy noticed the exchange, but simply put an arm around M’gann and helped her to her room. “Artemis,” Arsenal said when the other archer entered the hall. She hesitated a little when she saw him. “I-I wanted to talk to you.”

“Me?” she asked disbelievingly.

“Yes.” He opened his door and stepped into his room; gesturing for her to follow. Armies hesitated for another second before following. “Close the door.” Artemis shut the door, then stood by it awkwardly, trying to distract herself by looking around. Arsenal sat on the bed and was silent for a moment. “I don’t hate you.”

“Did you ask me to come here just for that?”

“No. I wanted to say that…I know you think I do….but I don’t. I don’t hate you.”

“Then why don’t you want to be near me? Why did you say all the stuff on my first mission?”

Arsenal took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes. “You remind me of….someone.”

“Who?”

“Green Arrow.”

“Green Arrow?” She frowned and uncrossed her arms. “You know the Green Arrow?”

“I used to work with him.”

“….What?!” Arsenal, a protege of the Batman— the League member with the strictest no killing rules— had worked with the Green Arrow? The guy who killed a dozen people a week? ‘When?”

“It was before I lived in Gotham. Before I was Arsenal.” He took another deep breath and clutched his knees. “I used to be Speedy and I worked with Green Arrow.”

“You killed people?”

“….No?” Even after all these years, it was hard not to hold himself responsible for that guy in the alley. For all the people he’d failed to help as Speedy. “I mean, no. No, I didn’t.”

“Is that why you work with Batman now?”

“Kind of… Green Arrow…he abused me. He would starve me and beat me. Batman and Robin….they reduced me from Green Arrow. They saved my life. Which is not an exaggeration. If I had stayed in Star City I’m almost certain I would’ve died before my 18th birthday.”

“And I remind you of Green Arrow?” Artemis wasn’t sure if this was better or worse than Arsenal hating her; comparing her to a serial killer.

“I don’t do it on purpose. It’s…just…you’re blonde and he’s blonde and you wear green and your arrows have green fletchings…”

“Really? The color scheme is what bothers you?”

“My brain is weird. It…freaks out over little thing and big things and….in-between things.” That made her snort a little. “It just makes me really nervous and I can’t stop the feeling. But it’s not because I hate you, Artemis. I don’t trust you, but I don’t trust a lot of people. Ask Robin, he could tell you how long it took me to trust Batman. It’s not personal it’s just…the way I am. I’m trying to stop, but…sometime’s it’s just not effective.” He stopped talking and watched her, looking for some indication she understood. 

Artemis slowly nodded. “Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Yes. You were abused and forced to help Green Arrow kill people, so you have some form of trauma and my being here in some way reminds you of that person who abused you. Ok. That makes perfect sense.” Too much sense. It was harder to hate Arsenal when she knew his actions weren’t intentional. And came from a place of genuine trauma. She didn’t know how to deal with someone being vulnerable and honest with her. It was making her uncomfortable. She fought the urge to shift a little or lash out at Arsenal. She took a step back, wanting out of this conversation. “Why are you telling me?”

“I just…wanted you to know. After today I realized…you aren’t bad and it’s not fair for me to lash out at you for something you haven’t done; or something that’s not your fault.”

Ok, Artemis officially wanted out of this conversation. Like yesterday. “Ok, well, good talk then. I um… won’t tell M’gann and Conner. If you don’t want me too.”

“I’ll tell them too. Eventually. I just…need some time.”

“Time, right. Ok…well….thanks for being honest with me. I should go sleep now.” She turned away, but he stopped her. 

“Artemis? Thanks. For today.”

“You’re welcome. And thanks back. I don’t think I would’ve gone through all that if it wasn’t for you.”

“You would’ve. It might’ve taken you a little longer, but you would’ve. You wouldn’t be here if you wouldn’t.”

‘Ok, now I’m leaving.’ She quickly left the room and made a beeline for her own. ‘This day is so weird.’

Back in Arsenal’s room, he’d engaged the locks on his door to keep everyone out so he could change. He was barely able to pull his pajamas on before he collapsed on his bed. He somehow managed to snuggle under the blanket, then closed his eyes. After a few minutes of silence, he heard the sound of the vent cover being removed and someone landing on his desk. He didn’t bother opening his eyes, but he did throw open his blankets. Almost immediately someone crawled in and snuggled up next to him. “I told Artemis.” No response. “I might tell Conner and M’gann soon too.” Still no response. “You were right, they deserve to know.” Silence. “Dick?” There was a sniffle, then a quiet sob from the teen. “Dick…” 

“I thought you were dead…” Dick whispered. 

“I’m fine.”

“I know that now but….you looked dead and I thought…” He just kept crying, clinging tightly to Roy’s shirt. 

“I’m fine, Dick. It’s ok.” Dick didn’t reply right away. 

“Do you remember your first Thanksgiving at the Manor? You promised me you wouldn’t leave like…like them?”

“Yeah, and I meant every word of it. I still do. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

Dick nodded into his shirt. “You’d better not.” He kept sobbing until he slowly fell asleep, still clutching Roy’s shirt. Roy simply wrapped his arms around his brother and settled down and fell asleep as well.

— — 

Out in the main cavern, the Justice League was getting no sleep. Superman was flying around the mountain, looking for weaknesses or breaches in the defenses. Batman was compiling as much security footage as he could, trying to piece together what had happened. Only by figuring out how it happened could he ensure the boys’ safety and prevent it from happening again. 

“Well…look on the bright side,” Flash said, almost casually. “At least you were wrong about it being Green Arrow.”

Batman frowned. “I never said-“ he began but was cut off by the speedster.

“You didn’t have to. I could see you were thinking it once we realized the zetas were offline and they couldn’t be reached by comm. You thought Oliver had found a way in and was going after Arsenal.”

“…it was rational at the time.”

“Not really. Oliver has no idea the Team exists or that Arsenal is on it. He doesn’t know where Mount justice is or that the Team uses it as their HQ. And, most importantly, even if, somehow, against all the odds, he knew those things, he doesn’t know how to get inside. The only people who know that are the Team and the League and no one on either roster would tell him that.”

“What’s the point of this, Flash?”

“You can’t react to every emergency like it’s him. Arsenal is safe on the Team. He’s safe in the mountain. You need to accept that.”

Batman didn’t say anything but merely went back to his task. Once he heard Flash leave, he brought up security camera footage of Arsenal’s room. He nodded a little bit when he saw his guess about Robin being there was correct. ‘I will triple the defenses on the mountain if I have to. No one will ever hurt my boys again.’


	22. Alpha Male

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for another update! I've also, finally finished writing this story, so now it's just a matter of getting the chapters posted! Enjoy!

Despite having such a rough day previously, everyone on the Team was up early. Arsenal felt a lot better after waking up, showering, and putting on a fresh suit. He joined the others in the kitchen for a semi-quiet breakfast. He nibbled on pieces of fruit while Wally inhaled a whole loaf of toast next to him. Robin sat down on his other side and stole a slice of toast of Wally’s stack. 

“Dude…” he speedster moaned.

“You’re going to eat more than that, right?” Robin asked his older brother, eyeing the orange slices sitting in front of him. 

Arsenal shrugged. “I’m not really that hungry,” he replied. 

“You need to eat more than just fruit.”

“I’m fine, Rob.” He was happy Batman wasn’t in the room. Bruce was always worried about Roy’s weight and making sure he was eating enough. Apparently with their guardian in Batman mode, Dick and decided it was up to him to make sure Roy was keeping up his calorie intake. He ate another organs slice, only for Kaldur to eat one off his plate. He smiled at him. “Morning.”

“Good morning,” Kaldur replied, not smiling, but looking a lot calmer than he had the night before. 

“Team,” Black Canary said, entering the room. “Batman wants to debrief you.” Arsenal quickly split up the rest f the orange slices between him and Kaldur so they could finish them up on the way. Upon entering the main cavern, they saw Green Lantern John Stewart using a construct to lift something large into place. When it did, everything in the cave came to life. They passed Martina Manhunter and Captain Atom infixing the generator. Sphere stopped by them briefly and Martian Manhunter patted him with a smile. 

“Synchronizing Cave security protocols with Watchtower mainframe,” the automated voice said. 

“Aqualad,” Batman said, gesturing to their leader. Aqualad stepped away and Black Canary lead the others to a table. They all sat down again and she placed a bowl of cashews on the table for them. 

“Compensation for interrupting your meal,” she explained. 

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Kid Flash said, his stomach now apparently forgotten. Black Canary raised an eyebrow and moved to take the bowl away, but he stopped. “Leave the bowl.” She nodded to herself. He was bouncing back then. 

“Yeah, what we want are answers about Red Tornado and his siblings,” Robin said fiercely. Arsenal simply rested his head on his hands, slowly drawing a circle on the table with a finger. He idly glanced over at Batman and Aqualad, who are deep in conversation about something, not that he could make it out. Unfortunately, that wasn’t as true for everyone. 

“You knew?!” Superboy yelled, suddenly on the other side of the room. He held Aqualad by his shirt and pinned him against the cave wall. “That Android and his maniac family nearly killed M’gann!”

M’gann reacted first, literally flying out of her seat. She flew over to their two teammates. “Conner what’re you doing?!” she asked in shock. 

“Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!”

Everyone else, who’d been following M’gann on foot, stopped. Arsenal’s heart stopped and he had to ball his fists to keep his hands from shaking. Kaldur saw his friend’s reaction and felt a pang of sadness. 

“You knew?!” Robin demanded. 

“You didn’t tell us?!” Kid Flash asked incredulously. 

“I sought to protect the Team,” Kladur replied evenly. 

“Protect us from what?!” Artemis demanded. “Knowledge that might’ve saved our lives?!”

“You almost died!” Superboy reminded Miss Martian. 

“Enough,” Batman said, not raising his voice, yet still requiring the authority necessary to quiet the Team. Superboy looked at him and the Bat narrowed his eyes, causing him to let go. They all walked closer to Batman and Black Canary. “With Red Tornado…missing, the Team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift.” He looked back at the approaching hero, who smiled at all of them and put his hands on his hips. 

“I’m really looking forward to hanging with you guys,” Captain Marvel said. Arsenal, Kid Flash, Artemis, and Miss Martian all shared an uncertain look. 

Superboy looked at Aqualad. “After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are gonna-“ He didn’t notice Batman approaching until the Dark Knight was standing right in front of him and his sentence came to a stop. 

“Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League,” Batman said with a tone that left no room for arguments. “That makes this a League responsibility. You will leave it to us. I have another assignment for this team.” He held up his hand and the holographic projection of a newspaper appeared. Well, …not a newspaper as much a tabloid that Arsenal was pretty certain had once claimed Bruce Wane and Batman were dating. 

“Gotham mayor attacked by Gorilla Gorilla?” Kid Flash asked in disbelief.

‘Is this the only thing he could find to distract us?’ Superboy asked telepathically. 

“Batman, please, tell me you’re not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase!” Robin practically pleaded. As much as he thought his brother could be overdramatic sometimes…Arsenal had to agree. This whole thing sounded a little….like a distraction. Like when he was a kid and Brave Bow would put on tapes of Sesame Street when there was a wildfire on the reservation. It had that feel. 

“I never joke about the mission,” Batman replied sternly, giving his protege a half glare. Robin dropped his head in shame and Arsenal reached out for his arm, but the younger teen jerked his arm away. “I checked the sources and studied the patterns. Mayor Hill’s encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents. Aqualad,” He looked at their leader. “You and your team will depart for India and check this out.” Aqualad nodded. However, most of the team didn’t even look at him as they filed past. 

“Huh,” Kid Flash scoffed, shooting Aqualad an almost mocking look. “Your team.” Aqualad glanced around and caught Arsenal's eye, only the archer merely fought the urge to wrap his arms around himself by clenching his fists and turned away. Again, Aqualad felt a pang of sadness at his friend’s reaction but brushed it aside. They had a mission to complete. 

They all embarked on the Bio-Ship in the hangar and Sphere attempted to follow Superboy, but he waved it away. “Uh-uh,” he said to it. “Go.” Sphere turned and rolled back the way they’d come. 

Captain Marvel landed next to the ship and Robin looked at him strangely. “You’re coming with?” he asked. 

“Sure!” Captain Marvel replied enthusiastically. “It’ll be a blast!” Kid Flash, Robin, and Arsenal watched as he walked onto the Bio-Ship. 

“Translation, he blames us for the red fiasco. He doesn’t trust us.” Kid Flash and Robin looked back at Aqualad, who’d just caught up with them. 

“It’s a big club,” Kid Flash remarked as they headed for the ship. Despite himself, Arsenal glanced back at Aqualad and saw a hard look in his eyes. An involuntary shiver went up the archer’s spine and he hurried up onto the ship. 

— — 

The ride to India was long and silent. Arsenal busied himself with playing with his bowstring. He wasn’t sure if there was a lot of tension in the ship, or if it was just his PTSD creating problems. Whether it was real or not, when they were nearing India he was eager to get off the ship. 

“Arsenal, Artemis, Robin,” Aqualad said. “You three will drop down first and scout the area to be sure there are no threats in our immediate area.” The there of them nodded and stood up. They attached themselves to drop lines and stood over the open floor of the bioship. When the ship stopped, the floor opened up underneath them and they dropped down. As soon as Arsenal’s feet were on the ground he detached the line and drew an arrow from his quiver. In one fluid motion, he nocked the arrow, raised his bow, and drew the bowstring back as he crept around the immediate area. He scanned the surrounding jungle as he did, but could make out no threats or enemies. He circled back around to meet up with Artemis and Robin. By the time they made it back, the ship had landed and everyone else had disembarked. 

“All clear,” Robin reported. 

Aqualad nodded and tapped the symbol on his belt, switching his suit to stealth mode. “Switch to stealth,” he instructed. M’gann was the only one who complied, turning her suit to black. “We will review mission parameters-“

“Parameters?” Kid Flash interrupted, finally switching his suit. “We don’t need no stinking parameters.”

“It’s recon,” Robin agreed. “We know what to do.” He and Kid Flash started to walk away, but Aqualad tried to stop them. 

“Kid, Robin,” he said in an almost pleading tone. They turned back to look at him. 

“The four of us started this team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from us!”

“Or did you forget that?” Kid Flash asked. “Like you forgot to tell us about the mole?” Arsenal resisted the urge to flinch. Robin looked at him. 

“Come on, Arsenal,” he said with a tone of authority. “We don’t need Aqualad.”

“….” Arsenal hesitated, torn between staying by his friend’s side and following his brother. 

“Arsenal.” 

‘He lied,’ a voice in Arsenal’s head whispered. ‘He lied, he tricked you. Kaldur lied to you.’ Swallowing, Arsenal nodded and followed them. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling that he was betraying his best friend by leaving. But it was countered by the sting of knowing that Aqualad had betrayed him first. As he followed Kid Flash and Robin it was silent in the jungle; save crickets chirping. ‘This jungle has a lot of green.’ He’d gotten used to green since leaving the desert but he was feeling like this was little overboard. ‘Focus on finding….the monkey or whatever it is the tabloid trash says we’re supposed to be looking for.’ He looked for tracks or other obvious signs that a giant rampaging animal and been through this way. Unfortunately, there was nothing. 

“See anything?” he asked as they neared a small cliff.

“Nope,” Kid Flash replied as he and Robin stopped on its edge. They both knelt down and Arsenal took a moment to look up. There was a break in the trees here and he could see the night sky, covered in stars. Normally, a sight like this would’ve elated him, but circumstances caused him to be too melancholy to enjoy it. He sighed, about to turn away, but a sudden movement caught his eyes. Three masses were coming towards them. The dark blobs moved at surprising speeds and he soon realized they weren’t blobs. Before he could open his mouth and warn his companions though, the vultures swooped down on them. Kid Flash dove to the ground and Arsenal threw himself back. 

“I thought vultures only eat dead meat!” Robin shouted as he ducked under the talons of one. Arsenal scrambled to his feet and ran after them. He tried to shoot back at the birds, but his arrow missed by a long shot. 

“Yeah!” Kid Flash agreed as they ran. “These are some pretty proactive scavengers!”

“Proactive and supersize! You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Cobra venom?” Arsenal guessed. 

“Yeah!” Their group broke apart for a minute as one of the massive birds came down on them. The ground shook a little from the force and Arsenal took the opportunity to try and shoot another arrow at them. This one landed in one, but it seemed to have no effect. 

‘Well that’s good to know,’ the archer thought as he jumped backward, using the tree next to him to leap away. He landed on the ground, somersaulted to break the fall, then kept running. He could hear the wings of the bird behind him and glanced back. He immediately regretted it as the monster tried to nip at his heels. He selected a new arrow and looked around, then ran for a gap between to trees. He pushed himself to sprint even faster, then when he passed between the trees, he jumped up and twisted his body around. Mid-twist, he shot the arrow at one of the two trees. The arrow hit it’s mark and glue exploded out, trapping the bird as it passed. Arsenal nodded, then went looking for Robin and Kid Flash, only to page for a moment. Something on the bird’s neck caught his eye. His eyes narrowed for a second, then he moved on. 

“That’s better, now that we’ve ditched the bird brains,” Kid Flash remarked.

“Did you see what they have around their necks?” Arsenal asked. 

“I was a little more focused on the talons and beaks.”

“They had inhibitor collars! Like the ones Miss Martian and Superboy wore on the mission to Belle Reve.” Before Robin or Kid Flash could reply, Miss Martian’s voice was in their heads. 

‘Link established,’ she said. 

‘Should he still be giving us orders?’ Artemis asked. ‘And should you really be following them?’

‘Listen please-‘ Aqualad began, only to be interrupted by Kid Flash. 

‘Oh, good, Aqualad’s voice in my head,’ he remarked sarcastically. ‘I’ve so missed that.’ 

‘Hey Kaldur,’ Robin thought. ‘KF, Arsenal, and I were attacked by giant vultures! Of course as moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves.’

‘If he did, he wouldn’t tell you,’ Artemis responded. Arsenal flinched, fighting the instinct to stick up for his friend. 

‘Superboy, are you fine or just pouting?’ Miss Martian asked. 

‘Busy,’ Superboy grunted. ‘Call back later.’

‘What gets me,’ Kid Flash continued. ‘Is how nonchalant he is about telling us.’

‘He should be chalant,’ Robin agreed. ‘Way chalant. Extremely chalant.’

‘How can we be a team if he doesn’t trust us with his secrets?’ Miss Martian asked, her voice almost overlapping Robin’s. ‘No wonder Conner doesn’t trust us to take care of ourselves.’

‘Did he really think you or I could’ve been the mole?’ Kid Flash asked Robin. ‘Or Arsenal!’ Arsenal wrapped his arms around himself, but neither of his teammates noticed.

‘We’ve known each other for years!’ Robin agreed. 

‘Trust is a two-way street-‘

‘You know they would hate it if we kept secrets from them-‘ Their voices were starting to overlap and grow louder.

‘Enough!’ Aqualad ordered. ‘Captain Marvel has been captured. We must act as a team to save him.’ 

Kid Flash scoffed through the mind link. ‘Under your leadership?’ he asked. ‘I don’t think-‘

‘This is not up for debate. You all choose me to lead. When the mission is over if you wish to select a new leader, I will happily step down.’ Arsenal felt a bout of uncertainty at the idea of someone other than Kaldur leading the team. ‘Until that time, I am in command here.’ There was an edge of finality in his voice that caused no one to argue. ‘Now, we must re-group, so we can locate Captain Marvel.’ No one argued this time. 

— — 

Finding the lab turned out to be simple enough. It was the only building in the entire area. They all perched on a hill overlooking the metal structure. Arsenal stayed crouched down in the grass with Kid Flash and Robin, while Miss Martian landed in a tree, and Aqualad and Artemis took up positions on the other side of the tree. The two archers nocked their bows and Kid Flash pulled his goggles down. 

‘I’ll fly over and scout it out,’ Miss Martian offered, but Kid Flash stopped her. 

‘Negatory,’ he replied, scanning the area in front of the lab with his goggles. ‘The field is spread like a dome over the whole compound.’ 

‘But it’s isolated,’ Robin replied, typing away at his hologlove, Arsenal peeking over his shoulder. ‘One good shot could create a momentary gap.’ 

‘I see a target,’ Artemis said, eyeing a red button on the outside. 

‘Me too,’ Arsenal agreed, pointing his own arrow at it. 

‘Be ready to hit it,’ Aqualad told them. ‘Be ready, all of you.’ Kid Flash and Robin looked at each other, but Arsenal elbowed his brother. The younger vigilante gave him a look and he gave his head the slightest shake. Robin got the message and nodded in return. Aqualad jumped down from his position and ran toward the perimeter. He electrified his tattoos as he got closer, then touched the barrier. Arsenal’s heart jumped into his throat for a second, but Aqualad was completely unharmed. 

“Dude…” Kid Flash mouthed as he watched the Atlantean use the electricity to pull open a small gap in the dome. To everyone else it appeared to be a small hole surrounded by the electrical current Aqualad was conducting. 

‘Now!’ Robin shouted over the mind link. Arsenal and Artemis both fired. Their arrows both hit the button and the barrier disappeared. Aqualad dropped his hands with a grunt. They all emerged from the shadows of the hillside, approaching the compound with a lot of caution. As they got close, Robin gasped. Arsenal’s head jerked up to see what the younger vigilante was looking at. Perched on top of the building entrance, was a monkey. The tell-tale blinking of an inhibitor collar was visible around its neck. The monkey suddenly screeched and everyone in the Team jumped. Alarms started blaring and lights on top started going off. Through the red lights, they could see more monkeys. The animals jumped down and attack them in a swarm. 

Aqualad took out his water bearers and used one to throw the monkey that had jumped on him. In the few, brief seconds the monkey was laying on its side he got a better look at the collar. Then the monkey jumped back to its feet and attacked him again. This time Aqualad was prepared though and knocked the creature back to the ground. He jumped on the monkey and use both his hands to break the collar off its neck. “Remove the collars!” he shouted to the others. 

“Sounds…easy…when he…says it…” Robin grunted. He was laying on his back, hands keeping one monkey away from him and feet keeping a second one away. Arsenal saw the trouble his brother was in and shot an electroshock arrow at one of them before batting one that had jumped at him. He ducked, then allowed the monkey to tackle him. Its fangs were dripping with saliva as it snarled in his face. Arsenal carefully slipped the arrow in his hand down a bit so that the arrowhead wasn’t near his fingers. He stabbed it into the collar of the monkey with all his strength. The acid in the arrow released and he jerked the collar off in the opposite direction. It detached and the monkey ran off into the jungle. 

‘None of these animals know what’re they doing,’ Arsenal thought, pulling an electroshock arrow from his quiver. He quickly shot it at a monkey’s collar, short-circuiting it. His arrows from earlier had down the same to the two monkeys pinning down Robin, who now flipping around, slipping in close to jam a bat-a-rang into the collars to break them, then flipping away again before the monkeys could reach him. Arsenal’s attention was drawn away from his brother when one of the monkeys jumped on his back. “Gah!” he shouted. Aqualad turned toward his shout and ran to his friend’s aid. He created an electric current in his hands and grabbed the collar. Careful to keep the current contained within the collar and himself— so as not to hurt the monkey or Arsenal— he pried the horrible control device off. It sparked when he did, and the monkey dropped off Arsenal’s back. The archer turned around, looking a little surprised to see Aqualad standing there as his rescuer. There was a moment of silence amid the chaos of the fight. “Uh….” He stopped when the doors to the compound started opening. Aqualad turned and they saw a very large, almost anthropomorphic gorilla step out. 

For a moment the gorilla just stood there, then he suddenly spun around and grabbed at the empty air. Except the air wasn’t empty, and they saw him throw Miss Martian to the ground. He raised his gun at her, but Kid Flash ran at him. 

“Keep your hands off her, you darn, dirty ape!” the speedster yelled. The gorilla stood up and faced him head-on, and Kid Flash threw an elbow at him, but he bounced right off the monkey. Before anyone else could move through, Miss Martian got back up. She flew away from the gorilla before he could grab her and held out her hands. The gorilla dug in his feet, but he couldn’t keep his balance. Miss Martian took a deep breath and the concentration on her face deepened. She raised her hands and the gorilla was lifted off his feet. She swung her hands back, then forward again. The gorilla was drawn back through the air then thrown at the side of the compound. Moving quickly, Miss Martian raised him with her telekinesis again, then let out a cry as she threw him at the wall again. This time he broke through, hitting the wall inside the compound. She floated down through the hole as the rest of the Team followed her inside. 

Inside it was a little dark and standing in the middle of the room was a small, mechanical device. If Arsenal squinted he almost though it looked like-

“It’s the brain!” Kid Flash cried out.

“I can see it’s a brain,” Artemis replied angrily. 

“Not A brain! The brain!”

“In the flesh,” the Brain said, rolling toward them. “So to speak.” It turned to the gorilla. “Mullah.” The gorilla raised a small device and pushed a button. All around the Team, spires appeared out of the floor and turned on. A purple barrier appeared around them and in an instant everyone was dragged to the ground. Arsenal grunted and tried to move, but it was like someone had tied all his limbs together. 

‘Miss Martian, Superboy, now!’ Aqualad commanded over the mind link. Miss Martian’s eyes glowed and she telekinetically snatched the remote from Mullah. She used her powers to push a button and the barrier disappeared. As they got to their feet, the wall behind Mullah exploded. When the smoke cleared, Superboy was standing there, his shirt torn, and a giant, white wolf standing next to him. Before anyone could move, the wolf pounced, jumping on Mullah. 

‘Did anyone know he was bringing…that?’ Arsenal asked over the mind link as they watched the wolf attacking the gorilla. 

‘Honestly, just kind of glad he did,’ Kid Flash replied, running at Mullah. The wolf had backed off, giving him an opportunity to run, then jump and kick him in the face. Robin swung in on his grapple, adding another kick to the attack. Their kicks knocked Mullah back a little bit, but he quickly recovered Luckily, Miss Martian was floating in the air behind them. She lifted him up into the ceiling, then let him fall. Mullah got back to his feet quickly and started shooting at her with his machine gun. Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver and took careful aim. The barrel of the gun kept moving, making it difficult to shoot. 

“Hey, gorilla-face!” he shouted, getting Mullah’s attention. His instinct told him to run or duck, but he stood his ground. Within a second he was staring down the barrel of the gun, then he shot. He got a look at his arrow going down the barrel of the gun, right before Robin pounced on him; pulling him to the ground. The few bullets that Mullah managed to shoot off soared over their heads. Mullah looked down at his now unless weapon, giving Superboy the chance to sneak up on him. Or, leap through the air yelling. He pulled his fist back, but Mullah simply hit him with the gun. It knocked Superboy and he hit the ground exit to the giant wolf. The wolf started growling at Mullah, but Artemis and Arsenal both shot arrows at him. The arrows hit their marks but didn’t cause a lot of damage. Mullah simply turned to look at them and Robin threw several bat-a-rangs as the two archers shot more arrows. One was an explosive arrowhead from Arsenal, which blasted the gun off Mullah’s back. 

Arsenal looked to the side and he saw Aqualad blocking laser blasts from the Brain. The blasts shattered his shield and knocked him off his feet. Without thinking, Arsenal shot an electroshock arrow at the Brain. It hit but seemed to do little more than annoy the villain. But it did give Aqauald a chance to get his bearings and slip out of the Brain’s range. The Brain moved closer to Mullah as the team moved in on them. On the other side of the room, they could see Aqualad free Captain Marvel. The hero jumped to his feet with a smile, like he hadn’t been about to be experimented on. 

“One good turn deserves another,” he said as he removed the inhibitor collar from the neck of a tiger. Mullah looked at Captain Marvel and the tiger on one side, then Superboy and the wolf on the other. He roared at the latter pair, but Superboy almost scoffed. 

“Go ahead, try it,” he said simply. “I hate monkeys.”

Mullah growled, clearly ready for a fight but the Brain stopped him. “No, Mullah,” he said as…weapons started folding out of his metal casing. “This will not be our Waterloo. “Au revoir.”

“Get down!” Kid Flash shouted as the weapons powered up. Arsenal nocked his bowstring and pulled it back, ready to fire, as Robin took a ready stance beside him. The lights suddenly went out, then came back on a few seconds later. When the light came back on everyone relaxed after a second. The Brain and Mullah were gone. “Wait, that big weapons thing was…a light switch?” 

Aqualad and Captain Marvel looked at each other. “Let us go,” the former said after a moment. “I believe our work here is done.”

— — 

The walk back to the ship was long and the sun was starting to come up by the time they arrived.

“What’re you so happy about?” Artemis asked Kid Flash, noticing the grin on his face.

“Two words,” Kid Flash said as he held u the red barrette that Mullah had been wearing and put it on his head. “Awesome souvenir.”

“Two words: gorilla lice.”

“Ah?!” Kid Flash jerked the hat off his head and groaned as he held it at arm’s length. 

Meanwhile, Robin and Arsenal watched as Aqualad pulled a collar off a monkey’s neck. All the way back, he’d been freeing the animals at the request of…the tiger.

“Is that the last collar?” Captain Marvel as the tiger. The tiger growled a little in response. “And I can trust you to keep all the other animals out of trouble, right?” Another low growl. “Good.” Captain Marvel started petting the tiger. “I’ll be back for a visit. I promise.” The tiger roared a little, then ran off into the jungle. “I think I’ll call him Mr. Tawny.” That made Arsenal smile a little bit. As his gaze followed the tiger, he could see Miss Martian and Superboy with the giant wolf. 

“The rest of the pack is gone,” Superboy said, kneeling in front of the wolf. He scratched its chest. “What’re you still doing here?”

“I think he wants to stay with you,” Miss Martian responded; clearly amused by the situation. 

“Can I keep him?”

Kid Flash laughed. “The sphere?” he asked. “Now this beast? Dude, you sure know have a habit of collecting strays.”

“Maybe because he’s such a stray himself,” Miss Martian said affectionately. There were a few seconds of silence where they held eye contact, presumably having a psychic conversation. 

“Well, you’re gonna need a name. Hows about: Krypto?” The wolf growled. 

“Pass,” Superboy translated. 

“Besides, isn’t that taken?” Miss Martian asked. 

Arsenal smiled, then turned to get on the ship, but stopped when he realized Aqualad was doing the same. He then hung back, which caused him to catch the question Robin asked Aqualad.

“I have to know,” Robin said. “Why did you keep the mole intel a secret?”

The rest of the Team had gathered at the base of the ramp. Aqualad looked back at them, visibly debating his answer. Eventually, though, he said, “The source of the information…was Sportsmaster.” 

“What?!” Artemis demanded as Arsenal visibly and audibly gasped. It wasn’t difficult to figure out where and when Sportsmaster must’ve told Aqualad this. Arsenal took his surprise mostly in silence, but Artemis didn’t. “You can’t trust him!” 

“I did not. It seemed possible, even likely, that he was attempting to divide the team with false information.”

“Given how this mission went…he nearly succeeded,” Robin admitted, starting to feel slightly guilty over his own actions for the last 12 hours. “But you had to consider it might be true.”

“Yes. As leader I did. In which case, I did not wish to alert the traitor.”

Robin sighed. “I hate to say it but…it makes sense.” He caught Arsenal eye and saw the look of betrayal flash on his brother’s face. It caused some annoyance in Robin. ‘What’s his problem? Doesn’t he see how logical Aqualad’s thought process was? Especially since Kaldur is his best friend!’ 

“I am still prepared to step down.” There was a moment of silence, before, of course, Kid Flash broke it.

“All in favor of keeping Aqualad as leader,” the speedster said as he raised his own hand. Everyone raised their hands; including Arsenal. Aqualad saw his friend’s raised hand and felt a surge of hope that he didn’t hate him. However, when he tried to catch the archer’s eye, Arsenal put his head down. Aqualad looked at Robin, who gave him a smile; so Aqualad nodded at him while wondering if the vigilante was trying to reassure him.

“Guess it’s unanimous,” Captain Marvel said, walking up the ramp and putting his hand on Aqualad’s shoulder. He then shook their leader's hand. “See you tomorrow.”

“You’re not coming back with us?” Aqualad asked as Captain Marvel walked away from them.

“Nope gotta fly!” Without another word, he leaped into the sky and flew off into the slowly lightening sky. The team watched him go for a few seconds, then started boarding the bio shop themselves. 

“So what are you going to name him?” Miss Martian asked as the wolf walked between her and Superboy.

“What’s wrong with Wolf?” Superboy replied. 

“Generic,” Robin said.

“But acceptable,” Kid Flash added. 

Arsenal was one of the last people to board, meaning he had to awkwardly pass Aqualad. He kept his eyes on the ground, trying to avoid actually looking at his friend. However, he didn’t miss that Aqualad had reached out for him. Arsenal half-sidestepped/half-jerked away and quickly scurried to his seat. Aqualad watched him go sadly, and with a twinge of irritation, before sighing quietly and joining his team.

— — 

When they got back to Mount Justice, Kaldur hung around near Arsenal’s room after the debriefing. When Arsenal came around the corner the archer saw him, then stopped and hesitated; as if considering turning and running the other way. 

“I want to talk to you,” Aqualad explained. 

“……Ok…” Arsenal replied quietly. He opened the door to his room, then allowed Kaldur to go in first. As soon as he was inside he locked the door and took off his mask. There was a moment of tense silence between them. 

“You are upset with me.”

“Yeah…”

“Why?”

Roy swallowed. “Because….because you lied! You lied to me! That night on the mission, you lied to me!”

“I did what I thought was best.”

“By lying?!”

“Yes, by lying. I have already explained why I did this to the Team, and I did not want to burden you with the knowledge. I could not ask you to lie and keep secrets from Batman and Robin. I was also concerned that if I told you that night the idea that someone you trusted on the team might be giving the enemy information about your whereabouts could have given you a panic attack.”

Roy shook his head. It made sense, it really did, but his brain wouldn’t relax. It was sending him DANGER, DANGER signals. Reminding him what had happened when Oliver lied to him and when Oliver had kept information from him. “But…I trust you and…you lied to me!”

“Roy, I am sorry. I understand lying is wrong, but I had to.”

“But…” Roy practically grabbed his hair in frustration. “You lied!”

“Is that all you have to say?!” Kaldur was trying to be calm and understand why this upset Roy so much, but it was difficult when he’d already explained his reasoning. “Roy, someone lying to you does not mean they are trying to hurt you.”

“I don’t know that! Don’t you see that?! I’m clearly not a good judge of when someone wants to hurt me! All I do know is that the person who did hurt me, lied to me a lot and hid things from me!” He was physically shaking now. “I want to believe you Kal, I do! But…I can’t!”

“You need to try, my friend. I understand these things are difficult for you, but you cannot keep assuming the worst about someone if they do one thing that reminds you of Oliver. You will not have a lot of friends if you do.”

Roy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ‘He’s right…’ he thought, wrapping his shaking arms around his body. ‘He’s right.’ He took another deep breath, slowly counting to 10 in Navajo out loud. When he finished he opened his eyes and discovered that Kaldur was still standing there patiently. “I trust you, Kal. I trust you as much as I trust Dick and Bruce… I-I don’t want you to be someone I think will hurt me.”

“I will not. Roy, I would never lie to hurt you. I was genuinely trying to protect you and the Team.” He gave Roy an earnest look. “Please, believe me.”

Roy held his gaze for a few seconds. There was something about Kaldur’s eyes, his kind, and patient eyes, which were never angry or cruel. Kaldur had never done anything to intentionally hurt him. “….I believe you that you didn’t lie to me to hurt me.”

“You do?”

“Yes.” Kaldur sighed a little, but he still didn’t move toward Roy. “You’re still upset.”

“….I must admit, Roy, it hurts a little bit that you would so easily assume I wish to harm you.” That… hadn’t occurred to Roy. “You are my best friend here on the surface. I….care very much for you and I try to help you or support you, but you still so easily believe that I would turn on you.”

Roy’s first instinct was to defend himself, but he stopped himself just in time. ‘Kal knows what happened to me. He knows why I have issues trusting people….but he hasn’t done anything to hurt me.’ He swallowed. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I didn’t mean to.”

“I know, my friend.”

“I’ll…try not to do it again. You’re my best friend too and I don’t want to hurt you. I’ll….work on it.”

Kaldur smiled at him a little. “Do not look so scared. I am not angry, and you have shown you are sorry. All can be forgiven.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” 

“I-I forgive you too.”

“You do?”

“I’m….trying to.”

Kaldur smiled more. “I’ll accept that because you are still working on it.”

“Thanks.” Wanting to reassure himself, Roy stepped forward and hugged Kaldur. “So…we’re still friends?”

“Of course.” Kaldur returned the hug, half afraid Batman would walk in on them again. Neither of them said anything for a moment. 

“I should go home. I think Robin is waiting for me somewhere.” Kaldur nodded and they broke apart. “I’ll…message you later?”

“I will be waiting.”

Roy smiled a little as he put his mask back on and unlocked the door. “I’m glad.”


	23. Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, time for another chapter. Enjoy!

Once he was inside the room, Roy took his sunglasses off and rubbed his hair a little bit. 

“How’ve you been?” Dinah asked him. 

“….Alright, I guess,” Roy replied as he sat down.

“You guess?” Roy shrugged. “It’s ok if you’re not ok, Roy. Only two days ago, Mount Justice was attacked and you were forced to do some things I’m sure you weren’t comfortable with. You then found out our leader was keeping information from you.”

“He had a good reason for it.”

“Is that what you originally thought?”

Roy looked at his hands. “No… No, I didn’t think that. I don’t like when people lie to me. I don’t like when people I want to trust are…doing things that make them untrustworthy.”

“Why does lying making him untrustworthy?”

“Because….Ollie lied. He lied to me all the time. About who he was, his intentions. I can’t deal with that again.”

“That’s understandable. Do you trust the other members of the Team?”

“….Yes?”

“Do you?”

‘I really don’t like when she keeps pushing the same question,’ Roy thought as he shifted a bit in his seat. He fiddled with his sunglasses. “I trust that they will help me if I need it in the field. I trust that they will contribute to the success of a mission.”

“But do you trust them as people?” Dinah put a bit more force into her voice, trying to convey the point she wanted Roy to see. “Do you trust that they’re people who aren’t planning to hurt you?”

“….I don’t know. I like them. They’re nice and there’s nothing wrong with them. I guess I try not to think about it.”

“What happens when you think about it?”

“…I need to use my grounding techniques.”

“Does it cause you anxiety?”

“Not anxiety per se …but more…upset.”

“Why?” Dinah frowned a little. This wasn’t the response she’d been expecting from him. 

“Because it's stupid!”

“What’s stupid?

“Well…everything!” Roy set his sunglasses down next to his chair, then started rubbing his hands on his pants. “Everything just seems so…stupid lately!”

“Like what? What things, specifically, are stupid?”

“Not trusting my friends! I like them and I work with them, but sometimes if they’re really quiet or if they’re hiding something from me I feel….anxious. I get all worried about what it means when, logically, it probably means nothing in hindsight! My being unhappy because I do the same things every day and I have no life outside of Arsenal, that’s stupid! I should be happy, but I’m not. It’s stupid. All of it! PTSD is stupid!” Roy crossed his arms and sat back. He took a deep breath, suddenly feeling as though he was several pounds lighter. He watched Dinah for some kind of reaction to his outburst, but she gave none. She sat in her chair, one leg crossed over the other, simply watching him. If he looked a little closer, he supposed her eyes looked…sad. 

“I have a feeling I know what the answer will be, but…have you talked to Bruce about any of this?”

“No.”

Dinah resisted the urge to roll her eyes a little bit. Right now her job wasn’t to be upset with Bruce; it was to support Roy and help him figure out how to deal with his feelings. “Why not?”

“I don’t know… I don’t want to be a burden on him.”

“Why do you think your problems would burden him?”

“Why wouldn’t they? Why don’t they burden you?” He sighed and ruffled his own hair, throwing his head down. “You could write a book with all the things that are wrong with me.”

“Roy.” Dinah’s voice was calm, yet carried a hint of sternness. “Roy, look at me.” Roy lifted his head. “Your problems are not uncommon. Post-traumatic stress disorder is not uncommon among victims of abuse. This is an objective fact. I know it feels overwhelming, but you can’t let it drown you. Myself, Bruce, Dick, and Kaldur all want you to succeed. Your problems are not a burden. You are not a burden. We care about you, so we care about you living a fuller and healthier life. Do you trust that I want you to have a better quality of life than you did before our sessions?”

“Yes.”

“Do you believe Bruce wants you to have a better life?”

“Yes.”

“Do you believe Dick and Kaldur want you to have a better life?”

“Yes.”

“Then does it makes sense if we see your problems as a burden?”

“….No, I guess not.” Roy sighed quietly. “I’m trying Dinah, I really am. This is so hard though.”

“I know it is, but I also know that you’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for. I know that you have to ability to think logically through your problems. Batman has said that deduction is one of your greatest skills as a vigilante.”

“He has?” 

“Yes. You are capable of countering illogical and anxiety-inducing thoughts with logical ones. You need to use realistic thinking.”

“Realistic thinking?”

“Yes. Try to pay attention to when your thoughts become self-destructive or intrusive. You’re smart, I know you can recognize is illogical and unrealistic. When this happens, you need to breathe and relax, like we’ve been working on, then ask yourself, ‘what am I telling myself right now? Is this realistic?’ Or, I think given your training, some better questions to use would be ‘What is the evidence this thought is true?’ or ‘Am I confusing possibility and probability? It’s possible, but is it likely?’ Do you understand?”

“I do.”

“For example, when your anxiety is telling you that you shouldn’t trust Kaldur because he lied, you first….”

Roy took a slow breath. “Breathe and realize this is a bad and unrealistic thought.”

“Good. Then you ask…”

‘What am I trying to…tell myself?”

“And what would you be trying to tell yourself?”

“…..That Kal wants to hurt me.”

“Now that you know that, you ask….”

“Is this realistic? What-what evidence supports this?”

“And your conclusion?”

Roy looked at the ground a bit. “….Kal would never hurt me and he has always had my best interest at heart. He’s patient and always trying to accommodate my strange behavior and constantly moving at my pace to make me feel more comfortable.”

Dinah smiled a little bit. “I believe in you, Roy. I know you can do it.”

“What if I can’t?”

“You can. This will probably take some time before it’s routine enough to stop all your unreasonable thoughts, but it’s important that we try to start somewhere. For the next week, I want you to try it as mochas you can, then we’ll talk about it in our next session to see how well you did. OK?”

“Ok.”

“I’m not saying it won’t be a little difficult, and it might feel like you’re not doing anything productive, but just have a little faith.”

“Like when we did the trauma narratives?”

“Yes, like the trauma narratives.”

Roy exhaled slowly. “Ok. I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask.”

— — 

After his therapy session, Roy was leaving Mount Justice when he got sidetracked by Kaldur. “Are you leaving?” his friend asked. 

“Yeah,” Roy replied. “I just had a….therapy session with Black Canary.”

“Therapy session?”

Roy nodded. “Over the last few years, I’ve met with her. We talk and she helps me with my problems.”

“From….”

“Uh…yeah. I don’t want to talk about it here, I’ll message you after patrol tonight.”

“Understood.”

Roy nodded, then took a deep breath as he walked through the zeta. ‘It’s ok,’ he thought once he was back in Gotham and he was on his way home. ‘This is good. I’m….opening up to people. Well, one person. But Kal is one of the people I most care about, so that’s good I guess.’ When Roy arrived back at the Bat Cave, he had to immediately change into his suit for patrol. 

“How was it?” Batman asked him as Arsenal approached. 

“Same, I guess,” the archer replied. 

“I have another solo case for you. If you think that you can handle it, of course.” 

Arsenal could feel Robin staring intently at his back. “I-I can do it.” Despite his brother’s obvious jealousy, he couldn’t help but feel at least a little excited about the case. 

The usual doubt started to creep up on him, along with a voice that started whispering, ‘You’d better figure it out, or he might throw you out.’ 

For a moment, Arsenal was ready to believe it, but then he remembered what Dinah had told him earlier. He took a deep breath. ‘No, this is a negative thought. It-it’s trying to tell me that Bruce only wants me to be a good vigilante and only values me as Arsenal.’ He nodded a bit. Progress. ‘What evidence do I have to support the thought? Um…. Bruce told me on my birthday he wouldn’t throw me out. So that’s evidence against the thought and a pretty important one too.’

‘He’ll still be mad.’

‘But he won’t hurt me or starve me.’ 

‘Still…’

‘No, shut up.’ Roy shook his head. ‘I have no evidence to believe that Bruce will hurt me or throw me out if I mess up the case. I have no reason to believe that Bruce would throw me out or hurt me if I mess up the case.’ He repeated the phrase in his head two more times before it calmed him down a bit. ‘I did it,’ he thought a little happily as he walked over to his work station. Although he knew this was no guarantee he’ d be able to do it the next time his anxious thoughts made an appearance, he also refused to start getting anxious over being anxious. So he focused on his case instead. It was another trafficking case, drugs this time. ‘I’m noticing a trend here.’ As he read over the information, Roy could see it was just a few remnants of a larger operation Batman had taken down a couple weeks earlier. ‘So really, I’m just cleaning up the rest of the guys involved.’ Simple, but part of him was fine with that. It was less likely he’d mess it up. The other part was a little disappointed he couldn’t try a more difficult one. This was what he had, so he got to work. 

— — 

After patrol, Roy immediately reached for his IM device when he got to his bedroom. He discovered he’d already gotten a message from Kaldur. 

K: I am here

R: So am I

K: Good. If you are comfortable, please tell me about your therapy

Roy hesitated for a moment, then started slowly typing.

R: When I go to therapy I learn how to ground myself so I can focus during anxiety/panic attacks and talk about my traumas. I also learn about my triggers and how to avoid them.

K: What is a trigger?

R: It’s something that causes a panic or anxiety attack. 

K: I see. What are these triggers? 

K: I merely want to know so that I may avoid them in the future

That made Roy smile a little bit and filled him with a warm feeling. 

R: Yelling is one. When people raise their voices in anger. Being touched without consent. That’s kind of minor, usually only results in a mild anxiety attack. Anyone touching my hair. Doing things wrong like missing a shot or messing up a case.

K: All of these will cause a panic or anxiety attack?

R: They can, yeah. I’m getting pretty good at using ground techniques to not lose control 

K: What are the grounding techniques?

R: repeated breathing, muscle relaxation, talking to myself, meditation. Just…things to keep me calm.

K: I understand 

K: Thank you for sharing this with me. I know it is difficult for you to discuss these things

R: Thanks for listening, I guess

K: I am here for you

R: I’m here for you too you know. If you have problems…

K: No, you have many demons to wrestle every day. I cannot ask you take on mine as well.

R: We’re best friends, Kal. If you need help then I want to help you too

K: It would be improper. My problems are not as bad as yours

R: But they’re still problems??? ‘

K: It is my job to help you

R: that’s a two-way street, pal

K: pal?

R: yeah buddy 

K: ….I am confused

R: you let me return the favor of helping you, bub

K: those are all synonyms for friend, yes?

R: Is that a yes?

K: very well

R: good

R: and yes. They are

K: surface dwellers are weird 

A chiming sound caused Roy to jump a little bit. He hopped off his bed and over to his desk. In the top drawer, buried under two notebooks and a bunch of pens, was the phone. The one Bruce had given him when he went to the mall with Kaldur. It was a small flip phone, he assumed to make it more untraceable, but he loved it all the same. 

‘We never did go back,’ Roy thought as he sat down on his bed again. ‘Maybe…maybe I can ask Bruce if we can go again. I’d really like that. Just to spend time with Kal again, away from Superhero stuff.’ He opened the phone and looked at the message. 

Logan: Yo, Ray! Did ya hear the news?!

Ray: No

Logan: They’re making a new Robin Hood show! It’s like a total reboot!

Ray: I fail to see how that’s good news 

Logan: Its gonna be so modern!

Ray: I hate modernized Robin Hoods. He’s fine in the past

Logan: The head writer said he’ll be like “the opposite of green arrow”

Ray: ….the opposite of green arrow, huh?

Logan: Yeah I guess the writer has a thing against the green arrow. He says when writing he tries to have RH do the exact opposite thing GA would do

Logan: Anyways, they’re showing the last episode (you know the movie no one was sure they were making) in the movie theater at the mall in two days. You and Kalvin interested in coming?

Ray: ….maybe. I have….people I need to check with

Logan: No prob, I get it, dude. Rents and all that

Ray: mhm 

The conversation shifted to the latest episode and its various pitfalls and strengths. About twenty minutes later, Roy got up and ventured out of his bedroom. His heart rate increased sharply as he approached Bruce’s bedroom door. He took a deep breath in an attempt to steady his nerves, but it wasn’t doing a lot to help him. ‘He’s never gotten angry at me before for going into his room,’ Roy reminded himself silently. ‘I’ve never really gone into his room before, but…he won’t get mad.’ He stood outside the door for a solid minute. ‘Maybe I’ll just stand in the hall.’ Nodding to himself, Roy knocked on the door, half pulling his hand back at the last moment and causing it to die out a bit. For a few moments, there was silence and no movement and Roy started wringing his hands. ‘Maybe-maybe I should leave or ask tomorrow-‘ HIs thoughts were cut off by the door opening suddenly. Roy stepped back so quickly he practically jumped. 

“Is everything ok?” Bruce asked him, resisting the urge to frown at the startled look on Roy’s face. 

“Uh…yeah…” Roy replied quietly. “I-I just wanted to ask you something…”

“Ok. Go ahead.”

“Uh…can-can I go out…you know, outside the Manor, with Kaldur again? Please?”

Bruce managed to not sigh just in time. “Roy-“

“It all worked out the first time.”

“I know, but it’s still not safe-“

“Please, Bruce? Please?” Normally Roy didn’t feel emboldened enough to interrupt Bruce, but the thought of being able to see the last “episode” of the old show was too exciting. Just going to the movies with Kaldur and some other normal teenagers who were kind of like friends. The idea of just going out and doing something normal, away from vigilantism, was so tempting. However, the earnestness in his voice actually broke down Bruce’s objections. 

’It did go fine the first time,’ he thought, trying not to look too long at Roy’s pleading face. ‘And it’s been completely silent from Oliver since his birthday…. And it would make him happy…’ He sighed and rubbed his eyes. ‘I’m going soft on these boys.’ Soft or not, it looked like he had an answer. “Alright, you can go.”

“I can?!”

“Yes, but the rules from before will still apply. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes! Thank you!” Roy’s face was stretched into a wide grin and he practically ran back to his own room. 

‘It’s dangerous,’ a voice growled in the back of Bruce’s mind as he returned to his room. ‘If he keeps going out it increases the chances that something is going to go wrong.’

‘He’s happy though,’ Bruce argued as he shut the door. ‘Even with how good things have gotten in the last year, it’s still so rare for him to be that happy. And after everything he went through with Oliver, he more than deserves to be happy like that. It’s just one more day. Plus, giving him a day outside the manor will satisfy him to reduce the chances of him trying to sneak out.’ Not that Bruce actually thought Roy would try to sneak out. ‘This will be fine. He’ll be fine.’

— — 

Kaldur was, unsurprisingly, very ok with going to the mall again with Roy. Once again dawned in their pseudo-disguises, the two of them were dropped off at the mall and headed for the small movie theater inside. 

“I have never been to…the movies before,” Kaldur revealed quietly to Roy as they walked. 

“I have….a long time ago,” Roy replied. A very long time. Before Brave Bow was diagnosed with cancer a long time ago. “It’s cool though.”

“What is the difference between simply watching a movie and seeing on in the theater?”

“The screen is huge. Some movies are just meant to be watched on enormous screens. Plus it’s cool to go see it with other people.”

“That makes sense.” Their conversation quieted out a little bit as they reached the theater. Logan and Jake were standing outside of it. The former broke into a huge grin when he saw the other boys approaching. 

“Ray! Kalvin!” he called as he put his hand up. 

“Hey,” Roy said with a smile as Logan gave him a high-five.

“Greetings,” Kaldur nodded. 

“We’re glad you guys could come,” Logan said. 

“Yeah, he wouldn’t shut up about it,” Jake added, gently poking the other boy in the ribs with his elbow. 

“Uh, Ray, is there a reason you’re still wearing the shades?”

“Um…” Roy stalled, unsure of what to say. “I-I just really love these sunglasses and how cool I look when I wear them.” He could’ve sworn he heard Kaldur chuckle under this breath. 

“You’re something else, dude,” Jake laughed. 

“Don’t listen to him, Ray,” Logan said, putting his arm around Roy’s shoulders. “Personally I find the confidence very refreshing.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely, very few guys are honest enough to admit when they’re conceited.” Roy elbowed him the way Dick often did with him. Logan rubbed his side and continued to laugh.

“Let’s get going, I want to get good seats.” Roy followed Logan as they easily outpaced Jake and Kaldur. 

“They are very excited,” Kaldur noted. Jake merely nodded in response. When they got to the ticket booth they manly caught up and Kaldur stopped beside Roy just in time to see him buy their tickets. “It is good you thought to bring money. I did not.”

“Dick gave me part of his allowance,” Roy replied as they walked in. “I don’t know why, but he looked really smug and excited about the fact that I was coming with you.” As they entered, Roy nodded his head towards the concession stand. “Want some popcorn?”

“Megan attempted to make some, but it did not turn out well.”

“Come on then. You can’t go to the movies for the first time without having some overly buttered popcorn.” 

“I will take your word for it.” They stood in line behind Logan and Jake, who ordered a large popcorn and three different kinds of candy. When it was Roy and Kaldur’s turn, the former stepped forward. “One medium popcorn with extra butter and a large soda.” 

“What are they doing?” After Roy handed the money to the cashier, he looked to where Kaldur was pointing. Jake and Logan, while waiting for their friends, had started dumping all three boxes of candy into their popcorn. Logan was mixing the popcorn and candy with his hands while Jake poured them in. 

“….Giving themselves cavities I think.”

“Is that a normal movie theater treat?”

“Depends on your definition of normal.” Roy handed the popcorn to Kaldur and grabbed the soda himself. “Let’s go.” They met up with Jake and Logan, who’d finished mixing the candy and popcorn. 

“Let’s find some seats,” Logan told them, quickly licking butter off his fingers. 

“Lead the way.” They gave their tickets to the guy collecting them, then proceeded into the theater. There wasn’t a lot of people there, which Roy had been expecting considering the fact they were watching what was essentially the final episode of a tv show. 

“You guys excited?”

“Absolutely.”

“I must confess, I have never seen this show,” Kaldur admitted. 

“It’s alright, Kalvin, neither have I,” Jake assured him.

“You know,” Logan said as they all sat down in a row halfway down, Roy making sure to sit on the end, “you talk kind of weird, Kalvin.”

“Dude…” Jake gave Logan a disapproving look and shook his head. 

“English is not my first language,” Kaldur explained, almost apologetically. 

“See?”

“Sorry, Kal. I didn’t mean to embarrass you or make you feel bad.”

“It is ok,” Kaldur assured him. “I am not angry.”

“That’s a good guy you got there,” Logan said to Roy, leaning back so he could see him past Jake and Kaldur. 

“He’s alright,” Roy replied. Kladur gave him a gentle nudge in the ribs, which Roy shrugged off. He held out the popcorn. “Try some.” Kaldur carefully selected two and slipped them into his mouth. 

“Mmmmm…. I like it,” he said quietly, so as to not alert Jake and Logan to his ignorance of movie theater popcorn. 

“Here.” Roy held out the straw end of the soda. “I don’t want you to get dehydrated.” Kaldur threw a pic of popcorn at him as he took a sip. 

“Soda, I have had before.”

“Oh yeah?”

“And it is delicious.” The lights started to go down and Roy remembered to text Bruce that he was still alive. Once the theater was dark though, it suddenly occurred to him that wearing sunglasses in a darkened theater was probably not the wisest decision. Glancing around, he discovered that everyone’s attention was on the screen. Moving slowly, he put his right hand on the band of the sunglasses. 

‘I’m not supposed to take them off,’ he thought, fingers freezing. But the theater was dark. ‘But someone could recognize me.’ How could anyone recognize him? He’d been “missing” for several years now and no one was going to be looking for him in this particular movie theater in Gotham City. ‘If Bruce finds out though…’ And how was Bruce supposed to find out? It wasn’t like he was spying on Roy. ‘It’ll be fine. It will. Besides, if I don’t take them off Logan and Jake might think I’m a freak or something…and it would look really suspicious.’ Nodding to reassure himself, he slowly took the sunglasses off. Kaldur noticed and gave him a slightly apprehensive look, but Roy gave him a smile; trying to project the confidence he definitely didn’t feel. Still feeling some apprehension, Roy took Kaldur’s hand, balancing the popcorn against the shared armrest. Even though they were both wearing gloves (even if Kaldur’s were fingerless), Roy still liked the solid and cool feeling of Kaldur’s hand. He leaned a little closer until he had his head on his friend’s shoulder. 

For Kaldur’s part, he had to consciously keep his breath even when Roy took his hand, then force himself to calm down and slow down his heartbeat. ‘Remember what Batman said…’ he reminded himself silently as Roy settled against him, calm and content. ‘I can’t do anything or Batman will make my life miserable. Besides, I am his friend and that is also good.’ Kaldur honestly would’ve taken being Roy’s best friend over not having Roy in his life. Having never seen the tv show the movie was based on, he couldn’t really follow the movie and spent most of it simply watching Roy’s reactions to it. Every time Roy laughed or scoffed, Kaldur would smile, glad he was enjoying himself. Towards the end, one of the characters, he supposed it was a main character, was killed and Roy gasped quietly, which turned into a quiet moan. 

“They killed him, Kal,” Roy whispered, sounding mortally wounded. “They killed him…”

“I saw,” Kaldur replied in a whisper. 

“You don’t care.”

“I do.”

“Liar.” Roy threw popcorn at him and Kaldur simply plucked a piece off his leg and tossed it gently into his mouth. 

When the movie ended, Roy immediately put the sunglasses back on. He glanced around suspiciously, but no one seemed to have recognized him or really seen his face. The four boys stood up and made their way out of the theater, Roy and Logan gravitating toward each other as they talked animatedly about all their favorite parts. 

“They are something,” Kaldur said to Jake, who nodded and chuckled. 

“I mean…there are worse things for them to be passionate about,” he said.

“Very true.”

“You guys want to grab some milkshakes?” Logan asked. They’d stopped outside the theater and were leaning against the wall as shoppers hurried on past. 

“Uh…” Roy looked at his watch. They still had another hour and a half until Alfred would be picking them up. “Sure, if Kal wants to.”

“We would be happy to go,” Kaldur said. He was here for any adventure Roy came up with. 

“So, Ray,” Logan said, putting his hand on Roy’s shoulder to steer him towards the food court. “that death-“

“Stop!” Roy commanded. “I refuse to think about it. It didn’t happen and it doesn’t exist.”

“Jake had to put his hand over my mouth because he knew I was about to start swearing at the screen.”

“….Ok, at least I didn’t react like that.” 

By the time they were sitting in the food court and sucking down their milkshakes, Logan and Roy had aired out their grievances and compliments about the movie. Thankfully, for Kaldur and Jake at least, it meant the conversation was able to move on to other topics. 

“Hey, Ray,” Jake said, plucking his cherry off the top and plopped it down on Roy’s milkshake. “We went to a soccer game against Gotham North the other day.”

A spike of fear went through Roy and he fought to keep his dace schooled. “Oh?” he asked.

“Yeah, we didn’t see you there.”

“I…was on vacation…” 

“Where’d you go?” Logan asked.

“….Greece.” 

“Greece? Wow, fancy.”

“What was it like?” Jake asked. 

“There were a lot of ruins…and um….Greek people.”

Logan scoffed while Jake rolled his eyes. “You’re a genius, Ray. Anyone ever tell you that?”

“A few.” Kaldur laughed quietly. 

“Like who?” Jake asked. 

“I think he is smart,” Kaldur said. 

“You’re biased though.”

“Biased?” The question was whispered to Roy under the Atlantean’s voice. 

“It means you can’t give an objective opinion because you’re my friend,” Roy replied. 

“I see.” He turned to Logan and Jake. “I am not…biased. Ro-Ray is very intelligent.”

“Uh-huh,” Jake nodded. “Whatever you say, Kalvin.” 

Roy glanced around, then froze when his eye caught something. There was a tv on the wall next to their table, which was playing the news. His eyes stayed glued to the screen for a few seconds. 

“-ay. Ray!” 

“Huh?!” Roy’s head snapped back to his friends. 

“You ok?”

“Yeah just… You know…news…” Everyone else at the table looked to the tv. 

“Green Arrow went on a killing spree in Star City…” Logan said slowly, reading the headline below the on-screen reporter. 

“25 people….jeez….” Jake breathed. 

“That guy’s a fucking psycho.” Logan turned back to his milkshake. 

“Agreed.”

“…Yeah,” Roy said. Under the table, Kaldur’s fingers hesitated near Roy’s, clearly asking for consent, and Roy responded by latching on to his friend. “He’s crazy.”

“He’ll get his though. Karma, you know? What goes around comes around and all that.”

“Think so?”

“Of course. One time, this dude stole my chemistry homework, erased my name and turned it in. So I got a 0 and of course he got a 100. But then, the school resource officer found pot in his locker and he got suspended. Karma.” 

“….Ok.”

“I am not certain that is how karma works,” Kaldur said. 

“Same idea. What goes around comes around. That cheater got his, and so will Green Arrow. Mark my words.” 

Roy glanced back at the tv, but the news had moved on to other topics. He took a deep breath, then sipped his milkshake. “Isn’t there a new arcade at this mall?” he asked. 

“Now that you mention it,” Logan slowly, clearly thinking about it, “yes.”

“You guys want to go check it out?”

“Hell, yeah.” The four of them stood up and suck down the last of their milkshakes. “Let’s go.” 

Roy smiled as they threw their cups away. Jake and Logan held hands, and Roy copied them after a moment; entangled his and Kaldur’s fingers. The news story about Green Arrow was long forgotten as they walked to the arcade, allowing Roy to be nothing be excited as Jake and Logan pulled him and Kaldur into a tournament of arcade games.


	24. Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for another update! I hope you enjoy!

A couple of days after Roy and Kaldur’s outing at the mall, the former was watching his friend and younger brother sparring. He stood with his arms crossed, a slightly amused smirk on his face. Robin grunted as he jumped at Kaldur, attempting to kick him in the face, but Kaldur dodged to the side. “You almost got him, Rob!” Arsenal called out in encouragement. Kaldur retreated to the other side of the ring, but Robin followed. Kaldur threw two swift punches towards him, but Robin simply ducked under both and backflipped away; leaving Kaldur to give chase. “Careful, Kal! He’s tricky!” Kaldur caught up to Robin and the smaller hero almost blocked another punch, then threw one of his own. Kaldur quickly retreated and Robin jumped after him. “Great block, Robin!” Both of them stopped and looked at him. 

“Bro, whose side are you on?!” Robin demanded. 

“…..Both.”

“You can’t pick both of us! I’m your brother! That automatically wins me your unconditional loyalty!”

“I do not believe that is how siblings work,” Kaldur told him. 

“Do you have siblings?” 

“No.”

“Then you don’t know.” The doors opened and Conner walked in with M’gann, followed closely by Wolf. Conner and M’gann shared a smile between the two as Arsenal drifted closer to Kaldur and Robin. Their teammates wandered away, never seeming to really notice the three in the middle of the room. “You know they’re a couple, right?” The question was whispered, but loud enough that both Kaldur and Arsenal heard him. 

“I believe I knew it before they did,” Kaldur replied, almost with pride. 

Arsenal simply smiled. ‘Good for them, I guess. I’m glad they have something like that. Being so close to someone you trust. Someone who looks at you like you’re the best thing they’ve ever seen. Someone to watch your back and support you. Like having a best friend but….better. Like-like with Kal but…more.’ The last thought made him cross his arms at how his stomach flip-flopped. The sound of approaching footsteps brought him out of his thoughts and he looked up as Wally and Artemis approached. 

“Do we tell them?” Robin asked. 

“It is not our place,” Kaldur replied diplomatically. 

Wally frowned at the two league members on the other side of the cavern, Zatara, and Captian Marvel. “So if Zatara is our babysitter for the week,” he said pointing to Captain Marvel. “Then why is he still here? And why is he eating my snacks?!” Arsenal and Robin rolled their eyes. 

“Recognized, Batman, 02,” the zeta tube announced before Wally could get an answer. 

“Computer,” Batman said. “National news.” A giant holographic screen appeared and everyone automatically turned their attention to it and slowly gathered in the center of the room.

“The initial attack was short-lived,” Cat Grant said, “but the Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve.” As she spoke the video feed changed to what Arsenal deduced must’ve been a helicopter feed. His eyes widened when he saw the giant plant in the middle of the street. Vines from the plant were wrapping around the buildings near it. “And despite the intervention of Superman and the Justice League, there seems to be no end in sight.” The feed changed to Superman rescuing two people from the top of a building. Hawkwoman flew in, swinging her mace. The camera followed her as she was joined by Hawkman and Green Lantern Jon Stewart as they attacked the…plant. 

‘And I thought killer plants were only a Gotham problem,’ Arsenal thought. He glanced at Robin and the younger vigilante gave a slight nod. 

“Should we get out there?” Robin asked. 

“No,” Batman replied as the video stopped and the turned to them. “The League will soon have the situation under control. As for why I’m here, according to your intel Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus blockbuster formula to Kobra.”

“Who combined it with his venom to create Kobra-venom,” Wally added.

“And what Brain used to create his animal army,” Robin recalled. 

“Including the great Wolf,” Superboy said as he stroked Wolf’s chin.

“The Brain also used inhibitor collars,” M’gann added. “Like the ones at Belle Reve Penitentiary.”

“Given all these seemingly random events being connected in the weirdest ways…” Arsenal began, already guessing where this debriefing was going. 

“Is it possible these plant things are on cobra-venom too?” Artemis asked; confirming she at least was on the same page as Arsenal. 

“I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis,” Batman said. He waved his hand, bringing up a holo-keyboard and started typing. “The pant’s cellulose contain trace amounts of a cobra-venom variant.”

“That’s not a coincidence,” Arsenal stated matter-of-factly. 

“I agree,” Kaldur said. As he talked Robin pulled up a holo-keyboard for himself. “Unrelated criminals cooperating with each other worldwide.”

“Exactly,” Batman confirmed. “It’s clear our enemies have formed some kind of…secret society of super villains. The attack on Metropolis is only the beginning.”

“You got that right,” Robin said, still typing away. Arsenal leaned forward to read over his shoulder. “The plant creatures sprouted in Gotham City, Paris, Seattle, Tai-“ Before he could go on the screens all went static. 

“Dude!” Wally hissed. 

“It wasn’t me! Someone’s cutting the satellite signal. All satellite signals.”

“Who-“ Arsenal began but was cut off the by the feed coming back. The Joker’s face appeared on every screen, causing Arsenal’s heart to springboard into his mouth. His face set into a hard, unemotional line. ‘What the hell?!’ 

The Joker leaned toward the camera and tapped his knuckle against the lens. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you this,” he pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and flicked it open. Arsenal’s hand twitched. “important announcement. From the Injustice League. ”The camera panned to a large group of villains. Some Arsenal recognized instantly, mainly Poison Ivy, but others were unfamiliar to him. One who wasn’t though was a man standing in the front wearing an outfit mostly made of green. Arsenal felt his stomach shrivel up. Unfortunately for him, the camera started focusing on the man. 

“We are responsible for the attacks on your cities,” Count Vertigo said. “If you wish to save them, a ransom of 10 billion American dollars is required.” The longer he talked, the more Arsenal resisted the urge to pull away. “Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit….but the longer your governments wait-“ The Joker’s hand appeared and he pulled the camera toward himself. 

“The more we get to have our…jollies,” the Joker said with way too much excitement. “Hahahahaha!” The camera went back to static. 

The Team looked at Batman, who had his hand on his comm. “Roger that Aquaman,” he said. “The UN will prepare the ransom as a backup. But it won’t come to that.”

In an effort to not start freaking out over Count Vertigo’s involvement, Arsenal turned his attention to Robin. The teen was still typing away. He rewound the footage and paused it when the camera was on the assembled “Injustice League”. Red lines appeared around Vertigo. “That’s Count Vertigo,” Arsenal said without thinking.

“Mhm,” Robin nodded. “And Poison Ivy, Joker, Ultra-Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Atom, Wotan…seven heavy hitters. Probably behind nearly everyone and everything we’ve faced.”

“There’s your secret society,” Wally said to Robin. 

“Not so secret anymore,” Artemis muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear. 

“If they’ve been so successful being secretive, why come out in the open now?” Arsenal asked.

“Perhaps after India, they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer,” Kaldur suggested. 

“Yeah, and that was their mistake,” Wally said confidently. “I say we go kick some plant creature butt!”

“The Justice League will handle the plants,” Batman said. “I have a different mission for this team.”

“Oh man- ugh!” Wally’s moan was cut off by Artemis elbowing him. 

“The plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission is to destroy it.”

“You realize what you’re really asking them to do?” Zatara asked, sounding extremely concerned. 

“They’re ready.” That caused everyone on the Team to frown.

“Ready?” Wally asked. “For what?” Artemis hit him again. 

“Ow! Will you cut that-“

“Hello, Wally!” Artemis said. “If the big guns are fighting plants, who do you think we’ll be fighting?” 

“I don’t know! I guess we’ll-“ Artemis didn’t wait for him to figure it out and simply pointed at the holo-screen. Robin and Arsenal shared a look.

“Oh…” Robin scoffed quietly at his friend’s realization. 

“Well, Batman, I trust you’re correct,” Zatara said.

“And I trust you can locate the enemy,” Batman replied. 

“Indeed. Wotan’s involvement suggests sorcery is how the plants are controlled. Robin, if you would provide a holo-map.” Robin got to work. “I’ll work for signs of concentrated sorcerous activity.” A large, holographic globe appeared and Zatara stepped up to it with his hands outstretched. “Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!” The gold stopped turning and a red dot started blinking. “There. That is where you will find the Injustice League central control system.” 

“….Coordinates locked in,” Robin said after a moment. “It’s in a Louisiana bayou.”

“Then we are on our way,” Kaldur told the Team. They all nodded then ran to suit up. 

Arsenal’s hands were perfectly steady when he secured his quiver and then his mask. ‘Let’s go get the Injustice League,’ he thought as he picked up his bow and headed for the bioship to meet the rest of his team. 

— — 

It was silent in the Bio-Ship as they were approaching Bayou Bartholomew. Arsenal carefully ran his fingers down his bowstring and bow alike, looking for any weaknesses or fraying. A glance to his right showed him that Robin already had some bat-a-rangs out and was eyeing them. 

“What’s in the duffel?” Kid Flash asked suddenly, pointing his half-eaten banana at the duffel bag on the floor next to Aqualad. 

“Plan B,” Aqualad answered simply. 

Arsenal opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Miss Martian cried out. “Uh!” she gasped. 

“You alright?” Superboy asked.

“Just dizzy.”

“Martians get airsick?” Robin asked, causing Arsenal to nudge him. 

“You do look bit greener than usual,” Kid Flash added. Arsenal suddenly wished he had longer arms to reach the speedster.

“Not me…her,” Miss Martian said in a slightly strained voice. 

“I feel fine,” Artemis said, who was sitting directly to Miss Martian’s right. 

“No! Not you. Her… The bioship. She’s trying to shield us.” As soon as she finished talking, the ride started to get bumpy. The bioship dipped and dove as it flew down to the ground. Briefly, Arsenal thought he saw a flash of Vertigo, but then it was gone. Miss Martian steered them up to the sky. The ship gave a violent lurch, nearly throwing everyone out of their seats. Arsenal’s arm shot out across Robin’s chest to keep him from flying into the windshield of the ship. Seat belts suddenly appeared out of their seats and strapped everybody in as the ship careened downward. Arsenal took a breath, a little winded from his body snapping against the straps. Through the front window, all he could see was dark, murky water. Before anyone could move through, green plants shot out of the water and started to wrap around the ship. Miss Martian strained to keep the ship from going under the water. Above their heads, a hatch in the bioship opened. Back Atom looked down on them. “He’s hurting her!”

Without needing any more instructions, Superboy jumped out of his seat and punched the villain. Unfortunately, this left a hole in the roof of the ship, which was still sinking. Everyone slipped out of their seats, Robin and Arsenal pulling out their rebreathers. 

“No!” Artemis declared. “No way I’m almost drowning three missions in a row!” Robin looked at Arsenal, his head inclined to the side slightly. After a moment of hesitation, Arsenal nodded and the two of them disappeared under the water. It was kind of murky, but they could still see. A hatch opened up in the floor a few seconds later. 

‘Out!’ Aqualad ordered over the mind link. ‘Everyone out!’ They all swam out, Arsenal keeping close enough to Robin that the teen could give him assistance if needed. It wasn't necessary though and he was able to swim out and to the surface all on his own. They quickly found dry land and hid among the foliage. Through two trees they watched as the bioship disappeared under the water; pulled down by the plants. 

“She’s in shock,” Miss Martian informed them. “She’ll need time to recover.” In the next instant, everyone was thrown to the ground as the world swayed around them. 

A powerful and familiar nauseous feeling overtook Arsenal and he was just barely able to catch himself. “Vertigo…” he growled at the villain standing in front of them. 

“Count Vertigo to you peasant,” Vertigo corrected. His eyes landed on Arsenal and he smiled. “Have we met? I feel like we have.” Superboy broke from the trance first and leaped at Vertigo. Black Atom appeared almost out of nowhere, tackling Superboy back to the ground. Aqualad eyed the water beside them and got to his feet. He whipped out his water bearers. He pointed them at the water, then spun around and brought a river down on Vertigo. The water swept him off his feet and into the bushes. 

‘Robin, Arsenal, Miss Martian, disappear,’ he commanded over the mind link. ‘We’ll keep them busy, you complete the mission objective.’ 

Arsenal and Robin shared a quick look before they start creeping backward. As they moved, Arsenal cast a glance back at Aqualad, but he was too busy trying to help Superboy fend off Black Atom. He turned back to follow Robin. He had to focus. The mission. They had to stop the Injustice League. He and Robin started hopping, moving from side to side, weaving in impossible patterns. With the sun going down it was casting long, deep shadows all over the bayou. He looked for the darkest shadows he could find, stepping with confidence as he crept silently along. Every once in a while he saw a flash of red from the corner of his eyes, confirming he hadn’t lost Robin. He couldn’t see Miss Martian, but he could feel her presence every few minutes. Eventually, it was dark enough that Robin and Arsenal were comfortable enough to simply walk in a line with Miss Martian between them. 

‘I’ve lost contact with Aqualad and the others,’ she said over the mind link. Both she and Robin felt the spike of panic that went through Arsenal’s mind, but he quickly fought it back down. ‘Should we-‘

‘Sorry that’s not the gig,’ Robin replied briskly. He powered down his holo-glove. ‘This is.’ Moving a branch aside, he revealed a large building in the clearing ahead. ‘The Injustice League’s central control system.’

Arsenal eyed the giant plant on top of the dome portion of the building. ‘I bet that plant on top is acting as an antenna, for the other plants worldwide,’ he suggested. Part of his brain was already working out a series of trick arrows that could potentially take it down. There was the soft sound of someone’s foot sinking into the mud behind them and he and Robin spun around. 

“Well, hello,” Poison Ivy said as vines wrapped around the three heroes. Ultra-Humanite landed beside her and pointed a gun at Arsenal, then moved it to Robin, before settling on Miss Martian. “And good-bye.” Miss Martian’s eyes suddenly glow and Ultra-Humanite gasped as he aimed for lower. He shot the base of the plants holding them, resulting in the view loosening enough for them to drop to the ground. Arsenal and Robin started running as soon as their feet hit the ground. “Sorry, Boy Wonder and Archer Wonder, but I have to cut your recognizance mission short.” The pants started moving under their feet. Arsenal jumped up and twisted around, shooting an arrow back at Ivy. Unfortunately, it was blocked by one of the plants and he was forced to focus on his retreat. He and Robin ran along the think plants, Robin flipping up into the trees. Arsenal jumped up as one of the plants reared up and latched onto a tree branch with one hand. He started climbing, hoping to get a vantage point to shoot at Ivy from. 

A sudden blast caused the tree he was in to shake. He put his hand against the trunk to tend himself, but it shook again and he had to venture out on the branch, then jumped to the next tree. As he jumped, the branch under his feet exploded. Arsenal dropped down to the next branch, narrowly avoiding another shot from Ultra-Humanite’s gun. ‘Let’s see you handle this.’ Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver and twisted around to shoot an arrow. He came for the barrel of the weapon, which was much wider than the average gun barrel. He released the arrow, but Ultra-Humanite shot at him at the same time. The blast from the villain’s weapon was so powerful that it burned up the arrow. It fell to the ground as a burned husk. “….oh that’s not-“ Arsenal was cut off by a vine that hit him in the chest. He was knocked off his tree branch and twisted around, grabbing onto another vine that had been aiming for Robin. He climbed on top of it and ran after Robin. 

The two of them ducked and dodged more vines that kept coming at them. One caught Arsenal at the ankles and he fell headfirst toward the ground. Luckily, Robin reacted quickly and shot out his grapple. The line wrapped around his brother’s ankle and he came to a dead stop, using the momentum to swing Arsenal to safety. The archer grasped the closest tree branch and quickly untangled his ankle. He wasn’t quick enough though and a vine wrapped around his waist. It threw him to the ground. As he flew through the air he just barely managed to get a look at Robin beneath him before he twisted around to avoid falling on his brother. He landed just next to him instead, gasping as the wind was knocked from his lungs and his joints seemed to rattle from the impact. He and Robin pushed themselves up, only to be faced with a wall of giant plants. They both tensed for a moment but then the plants all suddenly exploded into green goop. There was a moment of tense silence, then Miss Martian started talking to them over the mind link. 

‘Robin, Arsenal, she’s made contact,’ Miss Martian informed them. 

‘Artemis?’ Robin guessed as the two vigilantes stood. 

‘No.’ 

Arsenal glanced up and gently pulled on Robin’s cape. Glancing up, he saw a glowing cage being flown through the air above their heads. Heading straight for the Injustice League central command. ‘The others have been captured!’ Arsenal thought, fighting to push aside his worry. ‘We have to-‘

‘Not to worry, the bioship is helping them.’

‘Good,’ Robin nodded, pulling some exploding discs from his belt. ‘Can you I’ve us lift, Miss M?’ Arsenal’s and Robins' feet left the ground. They shot through the air at a speed that required Arsenal to close his eyes. When they stopped and he opened the again he was standing on the dome. Robin cackled and started throwing his discs at it. Arsenal pulled out the small handful he had in one of his pouches and started distributing them as well. ‘Ok, let’s get out of the blast radius.’ Miss Martian telepathically grabbed them and pulled them into the air. While they were in the air, Robin nodded to Arsenal. The archer pulled an arrow from his quiver and aimed carefully. He inhaled as he drew the bowstring back, holding his breath for a second as he aimed, then exhaled on the release. The arrow sliced through the air and exploded as it hit the plant. This caused a chain reaction, setting off the exploding discs Robin had planted. 

The antennae plant pulled apart, the pieces falling around the building. As the smoke cleared, Miss Martina slowly lowered them down until the three of them were standing on the edge of the now shattered dome. Robin smirked down at Poison Ivy. “Timber,” he said. Ivy yelled with rage and raised her hands. Plants shot up at them, but Miss Martin flew out in front and shattered them with her mind. A blast from the side hit her though, causing her to fall. Robin and Arsenal turned around to see Joker and Atomic Skull standing only a few yards away. 

“Children,” the Joker whispered. “Children foiled our plan. Inconceivable. Unacceptable. Retributionable.” 

Arsenal pulled an arrow out of his quiver. “Retributionable?” he asked.

“Ok, maybe that last one isn’t a word. So sue me.” He advanced toward them and Arsenal turned to follow Robin. They used their grapples to get to the ground and helped Miss Martian other feet. Taking only a second to rest before Atomic Skull was on them, shooting his beams at them. Arsenal skidded to a stop when he saw Count Vertigo advancing on Artemis. The teen fell to the ground, clearly overwhelmed by his abilities. 

Squaring his shoulders, Arsenal shot off a quick arrow, which clipped Vertigo’s face. The villain turned to face him and he smirked. “Ah yes, Arsenal,” he said, slowly advancing on the archer. “It’s been a while, boy.”

“Care for a re-match, Vertigo?” Arsenal asked, another arrow already nocked to his bow. Before either of them could move a bright blue beam hit Arsenal in the back. Pain engulfed his body as he was thrown face first into the water. For a few seconds, he couldn’t move, which was a problem because his face was under water. Bracing himself, Arsenal managed to flip over, but his body still remained pinned to the ground by the bright blue light. Through the light and pain, he could see Vertigo approaching. 

“Maybe another time, archer. After all….you never were a match for me.” 

Arsenal would’ve answered, but he saw a hatch in the bioship opened above their heads. ‘What-‘ The confusion doubled down when the duffel bag Aqualad had brought with them fell to the water. Though the haze, Arsenal could see what was in their leader’s hand. ‘Is that….the helmet of fate?!’ Despite him and Robin having not been on that mission, he’d heard enough to know what his friend was about to do was a very stupid idea. 

The sight of the helmet caused Wotan to stop his assault. “The helmet of fate…” he said, almost in awe. Arsenal sat up, gaining a little bit. Fear settled in his stomach at the sigh of Aqualad. 

“No, Aqualad!” Kid Flash shouted, scrambling to his feet. “Don’t!” Black Atom came out of nowhere and punched Kid Flash into a tree. Superboy pushed the villain in return and Aqualad put the helmet on. A golden light surrounded him and when it died down, Aqualad had transformed into Doctor Fate. 

‘He can do it,’ Arsenal thought as he stood. ‘It’s risky but…if anyone can do it, it’s Kal.’ 

Above their heads, Fate raised his fists. “Wotan. You are mine,” he said. A golden beam shot from his chest as Wotan shot one from his hands. Fate’s beam was much stronger though and it knocked Wontan into the dome. The golden night became chains, binding him to the structure. 

Smirking a little, Arsenal turned to Count Vertigo, who clearly hadn’t been expecting the turn of events. “So…” Arsenal began, pulling an arrow from his quiver. “About that re-match?” Count Vertigo scowled and focused all his attention on the archer. The world swayed around him, but Arsenal fought against it, rising his arrow with shaking hands. He shot the arrow, which merely clipped Vertigo’s face again. 

“You’re still the same, little archer,” Count Vertigo smirked. “A little boy playing hero, in way over his head.”

Arsenal gritted his teeth and launched himself at the villain. His first few steps faltered and he nearly fell on his face. Count Vertigo was so busy gloating he wasn't prepared for the bow that hit his face. He took a few steps back and his glare on the archer intensified. Arsenal moaned and fell to his knees as the world pitched forward under his feet. ‘I’m not actually sick…’ he reminded himself, trying to stand, but his knees kept buckling. ‘It’s…just….Vertigo…’ He lifted his head, trying to pull out a weakness, a blind spot. Anything. Before he could find something though, a strong breeze blew past Arsenal, whirled Vertigo around, and the sound of fabric ripping followed in the breeze’s wake. A flash of green and blonde hair suddenly flew past Arsenal. The solid sound of a smack! was followed by Vertigo grunting. The villain stumbled back, falling into the water on his butt. The nausea was gone in an instant and the world rightened itself. Arsenal stood up and looked at Artemis. “Thanks…”

“No problem,” Artemis replied. She glanced to her right. “I’m going to check on Kid Mouth. You need-“

“I’ve got him.” Arsenal turned to Count Vertigo, who was rubbing his jaw with his hand. Without warning, the archer stepped forward and whacked Vertigo across the face with his bow. Despite his head getting snapped to the side, Vertigo was quick to turn his powers on him again. Arsenal was ready this time though and quickly dove to the side, out of range. He backed up and started firing arrows at his opponent. The arrows were fast. Too fast for Vertigo to try and dodge. One caught the edge of his arm, the next his leg. The next arrow hit Vertigo’s chest and sent an electric shock through his body. Arsenal tried to mask his surprise and backed up a few feet when Vertigo got back to his feet. ‘Those arrows can take out people. But none of them were metas though…’ Above his head, he could fear the battle raging on between Doctor Fate/Kaldur and Wotan. ‘Another arrow should do it.’ He shot the second arrow and it hit Vertigo in the arm— which he’d raised to defend himself. The second bolt sent the villain down to his knees. Some of the electricity reached Arsenal in the water, but his boots protected him from the shock. When it stopped, Vertigo was breathing heavily and clearly weakened. ‘I swear his arms are shaking.’ Even still, Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver and pointed it at Vertigo. “Give up, Vertigo. It’s over for you.” 

“You really think I’ll give up to a pitiful child-“ As he stood, Vertigo had looked behind Arsenal. At his sudden silence, Arsenal had a moment of hesitation, then turned his head. ‘The League!’ The Justice League was approaching. He looked back at Vertigo, who now looked resigned. Not willing to take chances, Arsenal started advancing slowly, forcing Vertigo closer to his teammates, who were also being forced back by Arsenal’s own teammates. By the time they finished, most of the League members were on the ground and had surrounded both the Team and the Injustice League. From the corner of his eye, Arsenal saw Batman and finally lowered his bow and relaxed the string. 

“It’s over,” Batman said to the defeated villains. 

Vertigo and Poison Ivy looked at each other, then nodded. The entire Injustice League— minus Joker— put their hands up. “There will be another day,” Count Vertigo said simply, giving Arsenal a narrow-eyed look. 

“Another day…” Joker scoffed. “Another day?! There won’t be another day! Not for any of us! Hahahahaha!” He put his hands up and started moving his fingers. “There won’t be another day! For any of us!” All around them, plants rose up out of the water and a green gas suddenly blew out of them. 

“Joker venom spores!” Batman shouted. “Don’t breathe!” Arsenal and Robin both stopped breathing the instant they head “Joker venom”. Batman punched Joker into the water, but that didn’t stop the gas. Arsenal moved away from it instinctively. Before he could try to come up with a way to get away from it though, Doctor Fate rose up into the air. 

“Fear not!” he shouted, raising his arms. A life glyph appeared and the gas was sucked into it. Within seconds all of it was gone. Arsenal and Robin both exhaled in relief. “Fate has intervened!” Aquaman, Flash, Batman, Black Canary, and Martian Manhunter all looked at each other, then at the Team. Each of their eyes went from one team member to the other, as if they were counting them. 

‘What are they-‘ Arsenal’s question was answered almost immediately when Aquaman’s eyes widened. 

“No…” he breathed, eyes slowly moving to look up at Fate with dread. “Kaldur’ahm….” The rest of the sentence switched into Atlantean so Arsenal couldn’t make it out. 

“Fate!” Superman called up to the sorcerer. “Come down here, please!”

“You’re using please with an inter-dimensional god of order?” Flash asked.

Superman glanced up. “It worked…” Fate descended through the air and landed in the water a few feet in front of the assembled heroes. There was a moment of tense silence, which was, unsurprisingly broken by Kid Flash. 

“What were you thinking?!” the speedster demanded, stomping towards Fate. “How could you let him put on the helmet?!” 

‘How is this our fault?!’ Arsenal demanded silently. Robin seemed to notice his brother’s irritation and put a gentle hand on his arm. 

“Nabu will never release him now. Kaldur will be trapped inside Fate forever.”

‘Kal will find a way.’ Arsenal’s hand tightened around his bow. ‘Kal can do it. I know he can. He can free himself of Fate.’ For a few moments, it seemed like Wally was right, as Fate simply stood there motionless. Then, he slowly reached up and took the helmet off. There was a bright golden light, which died down after a few seconds. Relief and pride flooded Arsenal when the light was gone and Aqualad stood there, holding the helmet in his hands. ‘I knew he could do it!’

Kid Flash walked right up to Aqualad, looking shocked. “Nabu let you go?”

“He almost did not,” Aqualad admitted. “But your friend Kent was most helpful. He says hello.” 

Glancing back at Aquaman, Arsenal saw him give Batman a look. The Dark Knight nodded, then turned to the Team. “You're done here,” he told them. “The super-villains’ secret society has been neutralized. As for your performance…” Robin and Arsenal glanced at each other. 

‘Here we go…’ they thought simultaneously. 

“It was satisfactory.” Arsenal shared a surprised, but proud look with Robin; and then with Aqualad. 

“We can take care of the Injustice League,” Superman said. “You should head back.”

“Of course,” Aqualad nodded. “Team.” 

‘We did it,’ Arsenal thought proudly as they made hitter way to the bioship. ‘We really did it.’

— — 

When they got back to Mount Justice, all Arsenal wanted was to get Kaldur alone so he could tell him how proud he was. He did move toward his friend, but a question from M’gann stopped him. 

“Arsenal?” she asked, voice a little hesitant.

“Yeah?” Arsenal replied. 

“Um…it-it seemed like you…knew Count Vertigo today. I overheard you mention something about a re-match when talking to him.” This caused the Team to look at him. 

“….Uh….”

“I understand if you do not want to discuss it but, I was curious…”

Arsenal closed his eyes briefly behind his mask. “I-I know him because I’ve fought him before. Many years ago. Before-before I was Arsenal.”

“Who were you before you were Arsenal?” Conner asked. 

“….I used to go by the name Speedy. I lived in Star City and worked with Green Arrow.” 

“Green Arrow?”

“My uncle told me about him,” M’gann said. “He’s a vigilante, but he….kills people, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You killed people?” Conner asked. 

“No!” Robin almost snapped. “He didn’t-“ He stopped when Arsenal put a hand on his shoulder. Arsenal looked at Conner. 

“No, I didn’t kill anyone. But…that’s how I knew Count Vertigo. He came to Star City three times while I was Speedy and I fought him.” And lost. All three times. 

M’gann had more questions, but she could sense dread and emotional pain from his mind, so she decided not to ask. When Conner opened his mouth, she put her hand on his arm to quiet him. “Thank you for answering,” she said. “We appreciate it.” 

“Uh…sure. You’re welcome.” Arsenal’s heart was pounding a little, but that could’ve also been from the excitement of the mission. He glanced at Robin, who gave him a slight nod. 

‘Way to go, bro,’ Robin thought. 

“Arsenal, I would like to talk to you before you leave,” Kaldur said. 

“Sure.” He pulled Arsenal aside to the far side of the cavern. “What’s up?”

“Are you ok? After…Count Vertigo?”

“Yeah. It’s…it’s nice. I feel, great.”

“Are you are?”

“Definitely. Besides, I should be asking you how you are. You’re the one who put on Fate’s helmet.”

“Yes. That was…I have never felt such power before and if I am honest, do not want to feel again.” Kaldur gave him a strange look as something occurred to him. “You are not angry about my Plan B?”

“No. I mean…I had faith in you. I believed in you.”

“You did?”

“Completely. The whole time.” 

“Thank you.” The sound of the zeta tube caused all of them to turn. The first one out was Aquaman, who looked around, then made a beeline for Kaldur. 

“I think someone else wants to talk to you.”

“Yes. I hope he is not too angry with me.”

“I don’t think he will be.” Not if his reaction in the bayou was anything to go by. “Besides, looks like Batman wants Robin and me to go with him.” He looked at Kaldur. “I’ll message you tomorrow?”

“I will be waiting.” 

Arsenal gave him a brief hug— for which Kaldur could feel Batman’s look— then departed towards his mentor. When he reached Batman, the vigilante put his hand on his back gently. 

“Let’s go,” Batman said quietly. The trip back to the Bat Cave was silent, but silent in a good way. In a way that was the result of a finished mission and two tired proteges. Consequently, when they got back to the Cave, Arsenal was expecting to get changed and go upstairs to lay down. He successfully made it through getting changed, but Bruce stopped him before he could make it upstairs. 

“Is something wrong?” Roy asked. Bruce hadn’t changed but had pulled down the cowl of his suit. 

“I noticed the….look Count Vertigo gave you.”

“Yeah… Vertigo….he-he came to Star a few times when I was Speedy.”

“He did?”

“Yeah. Facing him…that was the first time Green Arrow and I had ever faced down a meta-human or someone with powers. So….it didn’t exactly go well.” He took a deep breath. “I-I fell under the effects of his powers and missed my shot. By a lot.” 

“I can imagine…”

“So he got away and Ollie….well he was angry.” Which was honestly kind of an understatement.

“What happened?” 

Roy knew that question was coming. “He beat me, locked me in the closet and….made me practice my archery until my fingers were literally bleeding. And this happened three times. The second and third times, Ollie was the on who…missed but he still blamed me for it. Vertigo….his showing up in Star made my life hell every time.” Roy looked, down then looked back at Bruce, who was taken aback by the ghost of a smile on his face. “But today I won.”

“You did.”

“I won.” Roy nodded to himself. “I beat Vertigo today. It felt good to finally beat him.”

“Well….I’m….glad then… Go get checked out by Alfred before you go upstairs.”

“Ok.” Roy headed for the Cave’s infirmary. When he was sitting on an examination table, he looked at Dick, who was getting his hand wrapped. “Hey, Dick?”

“Yeah?” Dick asked, failing to sit still as he’d been instructed. 

“I did the right thing by telling M’gann and Conner what I did, right?”

“Yeah, totally.”

“Even though I didn’t tell them everything?”

‘Even though it wouldn’t have been difficult for you to tell them anything?’ Dick sighed a little bit. ‘Oh well…baby steps I guess. Baby steps are better than nothing.’ He shrugged. “You did what you could.”

“Yeah…I did.” Roy smiled a little bit, proud of himself. ‘We got the secret villain society. We did it.’ 

— — 

Watching Oliver pace would’ve been entertaining for Luthor if the other man’s anger wasn’t an everyday thing. “Calm down, Oliver-“

“Calm down?!” Oliver demanded. “Your little…proxy team almost killed Roy!”

“They were admittedly not the best at following instructions.”

“First that damned android, now this! At this rate, someone else will kill him before me!”

“Patience, Oliver!” Luthor stood up, not bothering to hide his irritation. “You need to calm down. We know what we’re doing.”

“Do you? Because none of the puzzle pieces make sense to me, Lex.”

“Whether the pieces make sense to you or not, Oliver, we are the only chance you have to get to Roy. Just focus on your mission specifically and trust that we know what we’re doing.”

Oliver exhaled slowly through his nose. “….Fine,” he growled. 

“Now that we’re both acting like rational adults, what new information do you have for me?”

“That android attack did one good thing.” He handed a tablet to Luthor. “From what little information I could gather from that, the only way into the League’s HQ is with their zeta tubes and the transport seems to be person specific.”

“That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”

“Not right now, but I have a plan.”

“Enlighten me then.”

Oliver smiled as he sat down across from Luthor. “First, I’m going to need more arrows.”


	25. Triggers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so busy tonight I almost forgot to update. There's a surprise visit by another bat-fam member in this chapter. Enjoy!

“Hey Bruce,” Dick said as he guardian sat down for breakfast. “Can Barbara come over today so we can do our homework together?”

“No,” Bruce replied. 

“But-“

“The answer is no, Dick and you know why.”

‘I do…’ Dick thought despondently. ‘But I never get to have anyone over. I love Roy, but I why do I have to give up parts of my normal life?’ 

“Perhaps you could ask Master Roy if he wouldn’t mind spending time with his friends,” Alfred suggested as he served their breakfast. “After all, unlike the last few years, he does have someplace he can retreat to.” 

Dick looked at Bruce hopefully, and Bruce considered his answer carefully. “If Roy agrees to spend the afternoon at the mountain, then Barbara Gordon can come over,” he said. 

Dick smiled, the action morphing to a way too innocent version when Roy walked in. “Hi Roy,” Dick greeted in a way that immediately had Roy suspicious. The teen’s voice sounded way too innocent. “How is the world greatest big brother this morning?”

“What do you want?” Roy asked.

“Why do you assume I want something?” Dick gave him a mock look of hurt while Bruce tried to hid his smile. Roy didn’t reply, but simply gave his brother a look. “Fine, I was hoping since you were the best big brother in the world, that you wouldn’t mind spending the afternoon at Mount Justice or downstairs.”

“Why?” 

“So Babs can come over and we can work on our homework together. Please, Roy?”

Roy smiled. “Well….ok.”

“Thanks! You’re the best!” Dick gave Bruce a triumphant look, which the man pointedly ignored in favor of his morning paper. 

“Besides, Kal and I were planning on hanging out today anyway. He’s going to show me some Atlantean fighting moves.”

That made Bruce glance up. “Was this Kaldur’ahm’s idea?” he asked, voice carrying a bit of an edge. ‘Getting you alone and doing something physical in close quarters.’ 

“No, it was mine actually. I really wanted to know some. You should see how happy he looks when I ask him about his home. It’s really great.” 

“Hmm. Have fun then.” Bruce turned back to his paper, but his inquisition caused Dick to give him a strange look. 

‘What’s his problem?’ Dick thought as he shoveled eggs into his mouth and stealthily tried to text Barbara under the table. ‘I thought we were all happy Roy had a friend. I mean…I was jealous but that was because I…mistook the nature of their relationship. Why should Bruce be all suspicious about Kaldur?’ Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to ask because Bruce finished his breakfast and left the dining room. ‘Oh well. Babs can come over, that’s all I care about.’

— — 

Once school let out that day, Dick was beaming as he led Barbara into the Manor. “Impressed?’ he asked her. 

“I already knew you lived in a mansion, genius,” Barbara replied. “So no.”

Dick made a face, which Alfred chuckled at. “Come on, let’s go get our homework started.”

“I shall be in shortly with snacks, Master Dick,” Alfred said. 

“Thanks, Alf. We’ll be in the den.” 

“Very good, sir.” 

Dick showed Barbara into the den and they sat down on the couch. “So, what do you want to do first?”

“Social studies,” Barbara answered. “We need to watch the news, so I say we get that over with.”

“Is the news even on right now?”

“Dick, we live in the world of the 24-hour news cycle. It’s on somewhere.”

“Whatever, nerd.” 

Barbara threw a pencil at him, which only made him laugh. “Let’s just focus on our assignment.”

“Ok, ok.” Dick pulled a folder out of his bag and read through the assignment as he set it down on his binder. “So, we have to watch the news, then answer the questions about one of the stories.”

“Simple enough.”

“Best education in all of Gotham City, ladies and gentlemen.” Barbara threw another pencil at him. Unbothered, Dick simply turned the news on and flipped through the channels until he found some national news. The two of them lapsed into silence for ten minutes as the newscaster talked about something economic related that Dick was pretty sure Bruce might want to know, but he found to be mind-numbingly boring. He was so spaced out that the next story caught him by surprise. 

“-billionaire, Oliver Queen-“ the newscaster said, but all Dick heard was the man’s name. He sat up straight and his hand shot towards the remote to turn the tv off, but Barbara stopped him. 

“What’re you doing?” she asked him, brows furrowed. 

“Uh…” Dick stalled, unsure of what to say. 

“We need to watch this for our homework.”

“….Right. Of course.” Moving with great reluctance, Dick removed his fingers from the remote and looked down at his assignment. He tried not to listen to the story— he didn’t particularly care about what was going on in Oliver’s life— and was hyper-focused on whatever he could to distract himself. Thankfully, the story wasn’t that long and the newscaster moved on. 

“Hmm,” Barbara hummed, almost under her breath, “but he’s a murderer so who really cares?” 

That made Dick glance at her, as well as Alfred, who’d come in with snacks for them. ‘Oliver Queen a murderer?’ Dick thought. ‘She….shouldn’t know that. She can’t know that. What the heck?!’ He shared a look with Alfred and could tell the butler was thinking the same thing he was. Staying calm, Dick nodded his head a bit. A clear message of, “I’ll handle this”. Alfred nodded in return and left the room silently. Trying not to sound too suspicious, Dick waited for a beat before questioning her. “Murderer?” he asked, voice full of fake levity. “Really, Babs?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry, Dick. I didn’t know I was talking out loud.”

“Well, …you did, so…” 

“It’s nothing, Dick.”

“Come on, Babs. We’re best friends. You can tell me.”

“No-“

“Come on. Please? I won’t tell a soul, I swear.” 

Barbara gave him an unsure look. “Well…”

“Come on.” Dick poked her gently with the eraser of his pencil. “You know you want to.”

“Fine. But you have to swear you won’t tell anyone, especially not Bruce.”

“Cross my heart.” He gave her a smile. “So…?”

Barbara sighed. “Ok. So, you know how Oliver Queen’s ward went missing a few years ago?”

“…..Yeah… I also remember your dad coming to search the Manor because Oliver accused Bruce of having something to do with it.”

“Yeah. So, my dad’s friends with Commissioner Lance in Star City and he told my dad some details about the case and….there’s a lot more to it then was made public.” 

That had Dick feeling slightly alarmed. “…Oh?”

“Yeah. One big thing was that he was a person of interest in the case.”

“The Star City police thought Oliver was involved?”

“Yeah. The story Queen gave the police didn’t make a lot of sense once the detective really broke it down. According to him, Oliver Queen thought Roy had run away because he’d done it before.”

“What’s the problem with that?”

“Think about it. According to him, a kid between the age of 12 and 14 had run away from home before, but the police were never notified? That’s sketchy. Really sketchy. Plus, why would he run away? He was a 14-year-old living in a mansion, surrounded by everything a kid his age could ever want and he had severe agoraphobia, or something similar, and he was prone to illness. What reason could he have for wanting to leave?”

“I-I don’t know…”

“The detective thought that the only reason was that something was…amiss in that house. Then there was the second part of Queen’s story: Roy was kidnapped from his bedroom. There are so many things that don’t make sense about it. First, according to the detective, Roy’s bedroom was on the third floor. So, the kidnappers would’ve had to sneak on to Oliver Queen’s well-protected property, climbed up to a third-floor balcony, gotten Roy back to the ground, and over the wall around the property; mostly without Oliver Queen ever knowing it was happening. He’d only know because they accidentally tripped the alarm on their way back over the said wall.”

‘It’s not exactly difficult,’ Dick thought, but he didn’t dare say that. 

“It all sounded really implausible to the detective. He thought a much more plausible story was that Oliver had been abusing the poor kid, which would explain two things. If he did run away, it would explain why Oliver hesitated to call the police and Roy was willing to leave. Second, it seemed more plausible that Oliver killed him and made up the story about Roy getting kidnapped to cover his own tracks.”

“So…you think Oliver killed Roy?”

“That’s what the detective and Star City commissioner both think.”

“But why didn’t they do anything about it?”

“They don’t have any evidence of abuse, just the detective’s thoughts. There wasn’t any evidence to arrest Queen, or try to question him because he’s rich enough to afford the world’s best attorney.”

“So their hands were tied?”

“Yeah.”

“And you believe the detective’s theory? That Roy was…murdered?”

Barbara nodded. “It makes sense. More sense than Oliver’s story.” 

“I-I guess it does.”

“Sorry, if this is upsetting you, Dick. My dad told me that you met Roy before he went missing.”

“Yeah, once. We-we played video games.” 

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but did you notice anything when you saw him? Something that might’ve suggested he was being abused or wanted to get away from Oliver?” 

Dick hesitated in his answer, mind trying to think back to that day in Star. What would be a good answer for a 10-year-old Dick Grayson who didn’t have the fore-knowledge that Roy was being abused? “Not really.”

“Really?”

“Babs, I was 10! I didn’t really even know what child abuse was at that age. I don’t think I would’ve recognized the signs of it. Besides, I only met him for a few hours. It wasn’t like we were best friends.”

“True. Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just really curious.”

“It’s fine. So…you think Oliver is a murderer?”

“Yeah. I agree with the detective and Commissioner Lance. Oliver Queen murdered his 14-year-old ward and he got away with it.”

“Wow. And the public will never know.”

“Most of the Star City police don’t even know. I mean…some of them probably think it too, but none of them will ever be able to do anything about it.”

“True.”

“Sorry I made this so awkward and depressing.”

“It’s not your fault, Babs. I’m the one who asked.”

“Remember what I said about not telling anyone, got it? This is just between us.”

“Of course. My lips are sealed.” He moved his thumb and pointer finger across his lips like a zipper. “We should probably go back to our homework.” 

“Yeah, let’s do that.” 

The two of them lapsed into silence and returned to their assignment. For Dick though, homework seemed like a million miles away. He kept going over the information Barbara had given him. ‘The Star City police really think he’s dead?’ Dick thought as he scribbled down half thought-out notes about a politician’s latest speech. ‘I mean….he’s been “missing” for almost four years, but….still.’ It honestly bothered Dick that so many people genuinely believed Roy was dead. ‘Because he’s not. He’s not dead. He survived Oliver and he’s going to have a future. And…no one knows.’ That made him paused in his writing. ‘No one knows that he’s alive. That he managed to get through the hell that was living with Oliver.’ It caused a pang of sadness in his chest. ‘No wonder he hates being cooped up in here. I’d hate it if no one knew I’d lived through something so traumatic.’ It really gave him a new appreciation for his brother’s situation. 

‘Imagine how shocked Babs would be to meet Roy and find out he’s alive,’ a voice in his head said. ‘She’d be so surprised.’

‘Yeah, except I can’t picture any scenario when she would meet him.’ He glanced secretly at his friend, who was focused on her task. ‘Oh well. I should defiantly let Bruce know tonight though. He’d want to know this.’

— — 

Roy grunted as he hit the mats again. He let out a disgruntled sigh, which turned into a bit of a laugh at the end. “I think round four goes to you,” he said to Kaldur, who crouched next to him. 

“You put up a much better defense that time,” Kaldur said in an attempt to make his friend feel better. There was a note of amusement in his tone though, revealing funny he thought Roy’s failure was. Roy picked up on this easily and made a face. 

“You’re a jerk.”

“I am not.”

“You are. You think it’s funny that I lost.”

“Four times.”

“See?!” Roy sighed dramatically. “Guess I have to find a new best friend now.”

“Conner will be pleased.” Roy looked at Kaldur, fully expecting to see him smirking or showing some sign of levity. Instead, he had a completely straight-faced expression. It caused Roy to burst into a fit of laughter a second after seeing it. The redhead's laughs caused Kaldur to smile a little bit. “Now you are laughing at me.”

“You-you deserve…it….” Roy gasped for breath a little bit as the laughter died down. “Jerk.”

“If you keep calling me a jerk then I shall not keep teaching you to swim.”

“Didn’t you know, I don’t need you to teach me to swim anymore.” Roy stretched out and put his hands behind his head. “I swam pretty good on our last mission.” 

“Well, you swam well.” This time it was Roy’s turn to give a straight-faced look. The sight of it caused Kaldur to burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that he fell from the crouch, but didn’t seem to mind. 

“Jerk.”

“I am…not.” Kaldur pulled his legs in so he was sitting with them crossed by Roy’s side. “And you have gotten a lot better from where you started, however, you could be much better.”

“I said I wanted to not drown, not become Micheal Phelps.”

“…..Who- never mind. Still, I….enjoy times when we swim together. And now that you know how, you have no reason to say no.”

“Kal….for the hundredth time, I grew up in the desert. The water isn’t natural to me.”

“But it is to me.” Kaldur reached out and gently settled his hand on Roy’s chest. The muscles underneath tensed for a few seconds, but then relaxed when registering that the touch didn’t hurt. “I very much enjoy sharing this part of me with you.”

Roy looked at him for a long moment before sighing. “Why are you so persuasive?”

“I am unsure. Perhaps it is my calm demeanor.” 

“….Sure. That’s it.” Roy sighed dramatically, then heaved himself to his feet. “Alright, let’s go swimming.” Kaldur smiled in victory as they left the room. “Don’t look so smug about it.”

“I am not smug.”

“You are. I’m going to change. I’ll meet you at the pool.”

“Ok.” 

Roy got changed as fast as he could, throwing on the shorts and tank top he usually wore while swimming, then practically booked it to the pool. When he got there, Kaldur was already in the water, so Roy wasted no time getting his gloves and sunglasses off before he, very literally, jumped in. A moment of fear shot through Kaldur when Roy went under the water and didn’t resurface for a few seconds. He swam towards the spot a little bit, but then Roy’s head popped back up, splashing Kaldur in the process. “I’m here.”

“I see that.” Kaldur smiled to hide the brief, but uneasy feeling he’d felt. ‘I was definitely not scared he’d drowned. Definitely not. He was fine.’ Oblivious to his friend’s worry, Roy splashed Kaldur in the face. “That is not a wise idea, my friend.”

“Why?” Roy splashed him again, this time making sure to hit Kaldur in the face. “Afraid you’ll embarrass yourself?”

“No-“ He was cut off by more water hitting him in the face. A slow smile spread across his face. 

“Very well.” He swam backward, slowly moving his arms as he did. The tattoos on his body started to glow, lighting the water up around him as well. “If you insist.” Moving his hands with ease, he moved the water so it rose up in a big wave, then came down on Roy’s head. A laugh escaped him as it knocked Roy under the water. Kaldur himself was pushed back by the residual waves. “How did that…feel…” His words died off as the waves died down and Roy was nowhere to be seen. He waited for 10 seconds. Then 15. “Roy? Roy-“ Roy’s head popped back up and Kaldur was momentarily relieved, but it was short-lived when he realized how panicked Roy was. “Roy!” He swam over to his friend, who was thrashing around in the water wildly. “Roy, calm down!” He reached out and wrapped his arms around his friend. Hauling Roy by his armpits, Kaldur easily dragged him over to the edge of the pool and out of the water. As soon as he was on the desk, Roy shoved Kaldur away and scrambled backward. ‘I-I took him out of the water…he is not drowning. Why is he still upset?’ 

Confusion swept through the Atlantean as he observed his friend’s severely increased breathing. Tremors were shaking Roy’s body. ‘I-I do not understand…’ Watching the panic spread through his friend’s every fiber was almost physically painful. Kaldur fell down to his knees, trying to seem non-threatening as he crept towards Roy. “Roy.” He reached out, but Roy shrunk away from his touch. “Roy-“

“Don’t!” Roy gasped, finally speaking and knocking Kaldur’s hand away. “Don’t….” His breathing was agitated in sharp gasps for a few seconds. “Don’t touch…me!” Grasping at every straw of control he could, Roy tried to set his mind on other things. ‘Five things I can see…Water…the deck….the walls….my clothes….burning in my lungsIcan’tbreathehandsaroundmyneck- no! No, not that! Um…Kal. I can see Kal, he’s touching me-‘ That thought caused him to practically flinch away from his friend. “Don’t touch me!” Curling into a ball, he tried to re-focus on his grounding. ‘Four things I can feel. Water…deck….clothes…cold. Three things I can hear. The water….Kal…he’s talking.’ Part of Roy wanted desperately to just listen to his friend, but part of him also shrunk away at the thought of him. ‘One more…uh….a…whirring sound of…something…’ He sucked in another breath as deliberately as possible. ‘Two things I can smell….salt and sweat.’ Those were easy. The straws were now becoming larger bundles and Roy felt like he’d been thrown a life raft. ‘One thing I can taste…salt. The salt in the air.’ He kept taking slow breaths, trying to calm the anxious feeling inside. “My name is Roy Harper. Today is Tuesday, October 4th. I am at Mount Justice. I am safe right now because no one is trying to hurt me.” He nodded to himself and swallowed. “My name is Roy Harper. Today is Tuesday, October 4th. I am safe right now because no one is trying to hurt me.” 

Meanwhile, Kaldur sat on the deck, his own heart pounding as he watched Roy. His friend didn’t come out of the ball for a few minutes, but when he did he was no longer hyperventilating or shaking. “Roy?” he asked slowly. “Are you ok?”

Roy nodded. “Yeah…Yeah…” He inhaled slowly, held the breath for a few seconds, then exhaled just as slowly. “I’m ok.” Even if there was a jittery feeling in his nerves that wouldn’t go away and a slight shaking in his hands. 

“What happened?”

“What-What happened?” For some reason, the question struck a cord in Roy, one that filled him with betrayal and anger. “You- You tried to drown me!”

“What?!” Kaldur gave him a look of disbelief. “I did not! We were having fun! You splashed me, so I splashed you!”

“With a freaking tidal wave, Kaldur!” Roy got his feet. “I just recently learned how to swim, why would you do that?!”

“I-I- I was just paying! I did not mean to overwhelm you!”

“Well, you did!”

“How?! You have had your head under the water before! I remember the-the things…triggers! The triggers you told me about! I remember them and none of them are being under water.”

“So?”

“So, how can you be upset with me when I didn’t even do something to trigger you! We were having fun, Roy!”

“Almost downing isn’t fun for me, I’m not half-Atlantean!”

“You didn’t almost drown, I was there the whole time!”

“You were the one who triggered it, Kaldur! I can’t find comfort in the person who triggers the panic attack, that’s not how this works!”

“How does it work then?! You said you need to avoid triggers, does that mean avoiding water now? Do you not want to swim anymore?”

“Maybe.”

Kaldur shook his head. “My friend, swimming is something I love to share with you.”

“I can’t, Kaldur.”

“Yes you can, I will be here-“ Kaldur stopped when he reached out for Roy, but he stepped away. “Roy-“

“Kaldur, I just can’t right now. Not with you.”

That made Kaldur wince. “What do you mean?”

“You-you tried to drown me.”

“No, I didn’t-“

“Yes, you did!”

“….You are very easily, swayed. No matter what I do, I am always one step away from being the enemy to you, aren’t I?” Kaldur said it sadly as he realized it. “You call me friend, yet you always believe I am one step away from hurting you.”

Roy wrapped his arms around himself. “I can’t control my reactions.”

“No, you can. I know you can. You just do not want to.”

Instead of responding, Roy turned and walked out of the room. He kept his head down a bit as he walked. ‘Kaldur tried to drown me. He….I couldn’t breathe and….he tried to drown me.’ That thought kept repeating in his head until he literally ran into someone. 

“Oh!” Roy looked up just as M’gann fell on the ground. 

“Sorry, M’gann,” Roy said, reaching out a hand to help her up. 

“It’s ok, Arsenal.” M’gann smiled at him for a moment, then frowned a little bit. “Um…I hope you don’t, uh….take this the wrong way, but you’re projecting a lot of emotions.”

“I am?”

“Yes. I promise, I’m not snooping your mind I can just feel what you’re thinking. Like….it’s like knowing what someone is feeling when you look at them except with minds.”

“….Makes sense I guess. What’re these emotions you can sense?” 

M’gann frowned a little more as she focused. “….Fear…distrust….anger…. What happened, you’re very upset.”

“I-It’s hard to explain.” 

“Uh…I wonder…Could I help you calm down?”

“How?”

“On Mars, it’s very common to share emotions and feelings with others. I want to share some calm feelings with you.”

“You want to go inside my head?”

“Only to help you feel calm. It won’t hurt at all, I promise.”

“……Ok. But, only if when I say stop, you stop. Immediately.”

M’gann nodded earnestly. “Of course.” She took a step closer and gently grabbed Roy’s hands. Now realizing he wasn’t wearing his gloves, Roy had a moment of panic, but she didn’t ask about his palm. Instead, she gently led his head down until their foreheads were touching and enclosed both of his hands in hers. For a moment nothing happened, and then a feeling of calm flooded his brain. It wasn’t…scary. It was nice. Like a hug. The calm and friendliness of the feeling made him feel safe. The slight tremors in his hand stopped and the overactivity in his nerves settle down. They stood like that for a few minutes until M’gann slowly moved away. “Do you feel better?”

“Yeah, I do.” Roy smiled at her. “Thanks, M’gann.”

“You’re welcome. Um…do you want to talk about what happened to upset you? We can eat cookies if it makes you more comfortable.”

Roy chuckled a little bit. “I would enjoy the cookies at least.”

“Let’s go then!” M’gann floated beside him as they made their way to the kitchen. When they got there, Roy sat down at the table while M’gann retrieved the cookies. She used her telekinesis to place the plate in front of him while she simultaneously mad cup tow glasses of milk. “I hope you don’t mind if I join you.”

“Of course not.” As M’gann sat down next to him, he took one of the cookies and dunked them in the milk. “Mmmm… These are amazing.”

“You think so?”

“I do. I love cookies.”

“I’m glad you like them, then.”

“You know…” Roy hesitated a little as he broke a cookie in half. “There was a time when I couldn’t have cookies.”

“Why is that?”

“For two years…my guardian….before- before Batman, he wouldn’t let me have any sweets. At all. I-I would get in a lot of trouble just for a piece of candy.”

“That sounds….sad.”

“Yeah, it was. You don’t really appreciate a thing like this until you can’t have them anymore.”

“In that case.” M’gann moved half the plate’s worth of cookies so they were in front of him. 

Roy started laughing. “M’gann, I can’t eat all of those.”

“Then you can take the leftovers with you and share them with Robin.”

“Thanks.” He ran a hand through his hair, only to freeze. ‘Right, I’m not wearing my gloves.’ Looking down at his hands, he was suddenly struck with another realization. “I’m not wearing my sunglasses!”

“Uh….no. I didn’t know if you wanted me to point it out.”

“….Batman’s gonna be mad…..” Roy’s heart started pouring in his chest.

“Why?”

“They’re to protect my identity.”

“Um… don’t take this the wrong way, but I have no idea who you are.”

Roy frowned. “You-you don’t?”

“No. Should I?”

“….I-I guess not.” He looked down at the cookies. ‘It has been years since anyone’s seen me. I probably look different than I did when I was 12, or even 14.’ 

M’gann let him sit in silence before speaking again. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why were you so upset earlier? This is not the first time you’ve strongly projected those emotions.”

“…..I-I’m traumatized. I have a mental illness called PTSD and it means my brain….over-reacts and freaks out when I encounter things that remind me of my trauma.” It felt like an over-simplification of his situation, but it was the best explanation he felt like he could come up with at the moment. 

“I see. Thank you for sharing, I…I know it must be hard sometimes to talk about the…bad stuff in your past.”

“It is. Somedays I….just want to forget it.”

“What happened earlier that reminded you of the bad stuff?”

“…..I was swimming with Kaldur and he hit me with a big wave. It pushed me under the water and I couldn’t breathe. It….freaked me out.”

“The water or the not breathing?”

“…..The-the not breathing I guess…” He looked down at his cookies. ‘Guess the water wasn’t the trigger. It was not being able to breathe….’ A new feeling of uneasiness settled over him. ‘Maybe I…overreacted with Kal…’ M’gann noticed his forlorn look and frowned in concern.

“I didn’t mean to upset you again.”

“You didn’t, M’gann. I’m….I’m just thinking. That’s all.”

“Oh. Good thoughts or….”

“I-I think they’re good, you know. In the long run.”

“That’s good then. I hope you have lots of good thoughts to combat the….mental illness.”

Roy smiled. “Thanks, M’gann.” 

— — 

After Roy left the room, Kaldur needed to wait for a minute before he left as well. Juxtaposing emotions, mostly anger and guilt, swirled around in his brain when he eventually left the room. ‘What did I do wrong?’ he wondered as he walked. ‘It was nothing he told me about before… But then, he must be the wrong one. He could just be overreacting.’ A small part of him felt guilty for dismissing Roy’s feelings as a simple overreaction, but he couldn’t help it. What else explained what had happened?! 

“Penny for your thoughts?” someone asked suddenly, causing him to jump a little. 

“Black Canary,” Kaldur said in greeting. “I-I did not see you there.”

“I realize that.” She studied him for a moment, then tilted her head to the side. “Are you ok? You were very deep in thought about something.”

“I am fine.”

“Really? I thought you and Arsenal were spending time together today. Did he leave?”

“…..I do not know.” 

“Kaldur, what happened?”

“…..I am not certain. We-we were just swimming and having fun and suddenly he was having a panic attack. I-I do not know what caused it, but he blamed me when I did nothing but try to help!” 

“Arsenal blamed you for the panic attack?”

“Yes. I do not understand.”

“….Kaldur, do you understand why Arsenal has panic attacks?”

“Yes. He has PTSD and some things remind him of his trauma. His brain causes him to react very badly to these reminders.”

“Triggers.”

“Yes, he told me about them.”

“He did?”

“Yes. Yelling, being touched without permission, his own mistakes.”

“Arsenal told you about those himself?”

“Yes. I asked him because I want to know what things I should not do so he won't have these panic attacks. And I did not do any of those things!”

Black Canary gave him a look that was almost sad. “I’m afraid Roy may have oversimplified things when he explained them to you, Kaldur.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yes, it is true that those specific things trigger him, but it’s not a final list. There are many things that can cause very mild anxiety attacks or uncomfortable feelings. I’ve done my best to help him identify major ones that cause full-blown panic attacks, like what you witnessed, but that doesn’t mean he won’t encounter triggers we weren’t aware of.” 

“….So you are saying he may not have known what happened was a trigger?”

“Yes. I don’t think he was in the right to place the blame on you the way he did, but I do think he really didn’t know what the trigger was.”

“So, we could be doing anything and something could just….trigger him?”

“Only things that remind him of his trauma, but in my experience, you never know what that could be.”

“He still….he turns on me. He blamed me for what happened when I did not know. I am supposed to be his friend.”

Black Canary smiled at him a little bit. “I see the way you look at him, Kaldur. I know your feelings for Roy are more than platonic. You care about him and you want him to be safe.”

“But he does not believe that.”

“You don’t know that. I’m not saying Roy is perfectly in the right here, but I do have some advice that could help you.”

“What is it?”

“Keep reminding yourself that he’s doing the best he can. His best might not be your best or my best, or even the best we think he has, but everyday Roy is doing his best. He wants to be better, he wants to trust you. He’s trying hard to overcome his trauma. Somedays he does great, and other days, like today, he’s not doing so good; but he’s still trying.”

“He is trying his best.”

“Exactly. Just remember that when you get frustrated. Don’t lash out at him. Breathe and try to reason with him. Roy was trained by Batman after all. Logical reasoning will get your much farther with him than accusing him of not trusting you and demanding to know why he doesn’t.”

“That does make sense…. I understand.”

“Good.”

“I think I will talk to him another day. So that he has time to relax and calm down.”

“If that’s what you want.” 

‘If I can remember to be calm with him, then it will be ok.’

— — 

By the time Roy returned home, he was once again wearing his sunglasses and gloves, so that Batman need never know he’d been without them. He found Dick in the gym, pounding on a punching bag. “Did you have fun?” Roy asked his younger brother.

“Uh-huh!” Dick stopped and turned to him. “Thanks for hanging at the mountain. It was great to have Barbara over.”

“Sure. I…had fun. I hung out with Kaldur and….then Megan.”

“Did Kaldur get called away to Atlantis?”

“…..No…” 

Dick had been turning back to his punching bag, but the tone in Roy’s voice made him stop and turn back. “What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Roy. Come on. It’s me.”

“…..Kal and I were swimming and he-he splashed me with a big wave and it-it caused me to have a mini-flashback and panic attack.” 

“That’s it? He…splashed you and it cause you to have a panic attack?” Dick tried his best to keep the incredulous tone from his voice. ‘I don’t get it. He’s supposed to be getting better at handling his PTSD. Why is he freaking out over getting splashed?’ 

“I mean….there was more to it than that. I couldn’t breathe and it overwhelmed me.”

‘I don’t get it.’ Dick took a moment to consider his reply. “But you’re ok now, right?”

“Yeah. I’m ok now.”

“That's good.” The earlier conversation between himself and Barbara came to Dick. ‘Should I tell him? No. Or at least, I’ll tell Bruce and ask him if I should tell Roy.’ That seemed like the best solution. “Do you want to work on some new acrobat tricks with me?”

“Sure. Let’s go.”


	26. Humanity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, here's the next chapter. To give you guys something to look forward to, the next one on Wednesday is Failsafe. Enjoy!

Two days later, Arsenal was sparring against Conner in the mountain. He ducked under his friend’s punch, simultaneously moving his foot so he could move to the side. Conner’s face was contorted in what Arsenal could only describe as confusion. Conner brought his other fist up, but Arsenal back-stepped and curved his back so his stomach didn’t get hit. The holographic words ‘Miss’ appeared by Conner, along with a deduction of 5 points. 

“Good work everyone,” Black Canary said, walking into the ring to stop their various spars. “In fact, this has been a very productive week.”

“Yeah,” Artemis agreed, eyeing their only absent teammate not too far away. “For everyone except Kid Malingerer.”

“Hey!” Wally protested. “Arm broken in combat against the Injustice League here!”

Black Canary shook her head and chuckled a little it. “I’ve enjoyed being your…den mother for the week,” she told them. Arsenal nodded, wishing she would be their den mother for the following weeks as well.

“Recognized,” the zeta tube announced. “Zatara, 11.” The magician walked out of the eta, then started typing on a holo-screen nearby. “Access Granted: Zatanna Zatara, A-03. Authorization, Zatara.” The zeta tube lit up again and Arsenal ad Robin shared a look. 

“Zatanna, this is the team,” Zatara said, gesturing to them with his cane. “Team, my daughter, Zatanna.”

Unsurprisingly, M’gann was the first one to fly over and introduce herself. “Hi,” she greeted as she landed between Zatanna and the others. “I’m-“

“Robin!” Robin interrupted appearing at M’gann’s side. “I mean I’m Robin. She’s Megan. And that’s Wally, Artemis, Kaldur, Conner, and my brother, Arsenal.” 

‘How did he get over there?!’ Arsenal wondered. ‘I could’ve sworn he was right next to me!’

“Welcome to the Cave,” Kaldur said. 

“Uh..thanks,” Zatanna replied.

“So…y-you…uh…joining the Team?” Robin asked, almost eagerly. 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Zatara told him. “This is strictly a visit. Although I am sorry we missed the training.” The last part was aimed mostly at Black Canary. “It’s something from which Zatanna could benefit.”

‘Does anyone else get the impression we’re still on probation with Zatara?’ Megan asked, establishing the mind link as she did. robin glanced at Arsenal, but his brother was as calm as ever. Ever since his calming session with Megan he hadn’t felt as bothered by the mind link.

‘It’s not just Zatara,’ Conner agreed. ‘Why is Marvel still hanging around?’

‘Because we like having him around,’ Wally replied like it was obvious. 

‘You like having him around because he waits on you hand and foot,’ Artemis said. 

‘And your point is…?’ 

Arsenal and Robin both sighed over the mind link and rolled their eyes. 

‘It almost makes one nostalgic for Red Tornado’s tenure as our supervisor,’ Kaldur added with a hint of melancholy. 

‘Yeah,’ Robin agreed. ‘At least he trusted us.’ 

‘If you ignore the fact we shouldn’t have trusted him!’ Superboy snapped. Arsenal took a subconscious step away from the clone and Robin patted his arm. ‘He’s a traitor. That machine nearly got M- All of us killed!’

‘He’s not wrong…’ Arsenal added quietly. 

“Are you guys having a psychic conversation?” Zatara asked suddenly. Her question caused Black Canary and Zatanna to stop their conversation and look at the team. “Because I can’t decide if that’s cool or…really rude.”

Conner glanced at Black Canary and Zatara, who were clearly waiting for their answer. “Alright, fine,” he confessed. “We were talking about Tornado. It’s been weeks since his attack and the League hasn’t told us anything!”

“The League is searching for Tornado,” Black Canary replied. “As well as the other androids who attacked the cave as well as their creator, T.O. Morrow. Batman’s made tracking him down our highest priority.”

“But you've found none of the above!” Robin argued. 

“Not yet. But Tornado is Justice League. The Team is not to pursue this.”

“Why don’t you take Zatanna on a…tour of the….Cave…” Zatara suggested. The Team members all shared incredulous looks. Even Arsenal felt a spike of disbelief. 

‘I know a distraction when I see one,’ he thought glumly. 

“You’re giving a tour?” Captain Marvel asked as he walked in carrying a plate of nachos. “Cool!”

“Actually I was hoping you’d take Wolf outside,” Conner told him. “He needs the exercise. We’ll join you in a few.”

“For sure! I can do that! Come on, Wolf!”

“B-but my nachos!” Wally stammered as Captain Marvel and Wolf headed for the door. Superboy grabbed his shirt and dragged him off with them. Zatanna dropped near the back of the group for a few moments, then caught up with Roy and Arsenal in the middle, now wearing a new outfit. 

“What?!” Robin asked. “How did you- When did you-“

“We’re not really taking a tour, are we?” Zatanna asked. 

“No,” Conner replied. The group came to a stop. “We’re taking down that robot.” He looked at Kaldur, who nodded. 

“Yes, we are.”

“Oh wow,” Zatanna said. “Out loud and everything.”

“What about the new girl?” Artemis asked. 

“I’m sure she won’t tell,” Robin replied. 

“There’s no way I can tell,” Zatanna said. “Not if you kidnap me.”

“….Oh, she’s gonna fit in great,” Artemis conceded. 

“Let us go then,” Kaldur said. 

“Are you sure you’re ok with this?” Robin whispered to Arsenal as the whispered. The couldn’t have Arsenal having a panic attack because they were going to get in trouble when this was over. 

“Yeah,” Arsenal replied in a whisper. “I can handle it.”

“You sure?”

“Tornado betrayed us, Rob. And…I besides….it’ll be fine. Right?”

“Right.” Robin nodded to himself. ‘Huh. Maybe he’s more in control of his PTSD than I thought.’ 

They made it to the hangar and aboard the Bio-Ship without anyone noticing them. Excitement had built in Arsenal’s chest as he sat down in his seat. ‘If I can be in the mountain without my sunglasses and nothing bad happened, then I can do this too.’ As they left the mountain, Miss Martian put the ship into stealth mode. They passed silently and invisibly over Captain Marvel, who was apparently trying to get Wolf to play fetch with him. Unfortunately, their invisibility wasn’t foolproof. 

“M’gann,” Black Canary’ said over their comms. “The bioship wasn’t authorized for departure.”

“We’re kidnapping Zatanna!” Miss Martian replied quickly. “uh…..to show her Happy Harbor. Be back soon.”

“….uh…Roger that. Have fun.” 

“Wow, she really bought that,” Arsenal whispered after a moment. 

“Apparently,” Kaldur agreed. The two of them looked at each other for a moment. They hadn’t spoken since their disastrous swim two days before. 

“Where are we even going?!” Robin demanded, thankfully giving Arsenal something else to focus on. “Batman is the world’s greatest detective.”

“And he searched for Tornado and Morrow in every logical location,” Arsenal nodded. 

“If we’re gonna do better, we’ll need an illogical solution.” He turned to look back at Kid Flash. “A truly dumb idea.” Everyone else looked at the speedster as well. 

“As a matter of fact…” Kid Flash said with the type of confidence only a speedster could as he explained his idea. 

— — 

Going inside Belle Reve was much different than just watching it from the outside. Arsenal found himself almost fascinated by it, even though they didn’t actually go near any cells. As they entered the office of the warden, he was actually wondering what the cells were like. 

“Ah,” Hugo Strange said in what Arsenal guessed was supposed to be a friendly tone. “The Young Justice League. So good to see you again.”

“Thank you, Warden Strange,” Aqualad replied. “It is good to see you too.”

“What brings you back to our facility?”

“We were wondering if we could speak with Professor Ivo.”

“What for?”

“We simply feel he may have information on a…case we are working on.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can allow that. We have rules here.”

“I understand that, sir, but we did help you by preventing the breakout last month.” That made the warden visibly hesitate. “Give us a few minutes alone with him, please. That’s all we ask.”

“…..Very well. Five minutes. I’ll have a guard bring Dr. Ivo to a private room where you can speak to him.” 

“Thank you, warden. We appreciate it.”

“I’ll show you to the room.” Arsenal strayed close to Robin as they followed the warden. He showed them to the room but didn’t go in with them. The room was a little on the small side, which Arsenals’ brain picked up on almost immediately. 

‘No!’ he thought sternly. ‘No! I’m going to stay calm and focus on the mission.’ Thankfully, Professor Ivo was brought into the room, which gave him something else he could focus on. 

“What are you doing here?” Ivo asked them.

“Warden Strange owed us a favor for stopping the prison break last month,” Miss Martian explained. “So he’s given us five minutes alone with you.”

“Spill, Ivo!” Superboy said. “Tell us where we can find T.O. Morrow and his friends.”

“Now why in the world would I know how to find Morrow?” Ivo asked simply, sitting back in his chair. 

“Because,” Kid Flash said, approaching Ivo from where he’d been leaning against the wall. “and here’s a truly dumb idea: you’re Morrow’s biggest competitor in the whole android game. Who better to keep track of what he’s doing and where?”

“Ah. I see your point. So let me rephrase: why in the world would I tell you how to find Morrow?”

“He knows,” Aqualad realized. He walked forward and looked at Miss Martian. “Do what you must.” She nodded and her eyes started glowing. 

“Oh, please. As if I’ve never faced a telepath before-“

“Trulb tuo S'worrom eurt noitacol!” Zatanna commended, seeming to come out of nowhere. 

“Morrow’s in a secret underground base underneath Yellow Stone National Park. 100 meters beneath Old Faithful.” The Team all stared in open-mouth shock. Ivo blinked, then looked just as shocked as the rest of them; minus Zatanna. “What the heck just happened?” 

Zatanna simply smiled at the Team, but that sent a prickle of uncertainty down Arsenal’s neck. ‘She’d better not do that to any of us,’ he thought. ‘But she hasn’t done anything to make it seem like she would so….she probably won’t I guess.’

— — 

The flight to Yellowstone was somehow incredibly long, and incredibly short all at the same time. When they were close, Aqualad looked at them. “Blackout all external communications,” he ordered them. “Soon Black Canary and Zatara…and Batman too I imagine, will know about our…visit with Professor Ivo. We won't have much time.”

“Look,” Robin chuckled, almost nervously. “I’m trying to be all nonchalant here-“

“Why?” Zatanna asked. “Be as chalant as you like.” Arsenal groaned quietly, causing Robin to elbow him. 

“I think we’re all just trying to get a handle on your powers,” Artemis explained. “Could you teleport us to Tornado? Or Morrow to a cell? Or force his bots to surrender?”

“Or create peace on Earth for all time? Zatara couldn’t even do all that and I’m nowhere near on my dad’s level. You need to know a spell cold, plus time to prep it. Plus all magic requires energy that needs to come from within. I just can’t make the impossible happen at will.”

“What’s ETA to Yellowstone?” Superboy asked suddenly. “I’m way past ready to stuff Tornado into a trash compactor.”

“Are you so certain he betrayed us?” Kaldur asked him calmly. 

“Aren’t you?” Arsenal asked. 

“I am not convinced, though I am not surprised you are.” That made Arsenal flinch a little bit. “And even so, that makes him a victim of his creator’s programming. Something you should sympathize with.” This time Arsenal flinched into his seat and quickly turned away. Robin put a hand on his arm while shooting Aqualad a glare. “Certainly he deserves the chance he’s more than the weapon others designed him to be.” The urge to curl up into a ball was a little overwhelming, so Arsenal tried to focus mostly on Robin’s hand. It kept him tied down to what was happening. 

‘But he attacked us…’ Arsenal thought. ‘He betrayed us….but what if Kaldur’s right? What if we should give him the benefit of a doubt?’ Part of the archer wanted to, but part of him felt it was a luxury he, unfortunately, couldn’t afford. 

— — 

When they arrived at Yellowstone, Aqualad stood up and activated the stealth mode on his suit. “Stealth mode,” he instructed. Kid Flash, Artemis, and Miss Martian all followed suit. Zatanna walked over to the door and opened it. She turned around to see Aqualad walking toward her. “I would suggest you stay behind.”

“Is that an order?” Zatanna asked with a hint of challenge. 

“No, you must do as you see fit.”

“Good. Emit ot yrt tuo eht wen kool!” She waved her arms and a blue light encircled her. The lights flashed and she was suddenly wearing a magician’s outfit. She smiled at them and Aqualad nodded. 

The Team disembarked from the bio-ship, then started running through the woods toward Old Faithful. After approximately, ten minutes they reached the edge of the geyser and stopped. Robin knelt down so he could do a quick scan of the ground underneath them with his holo-glove. “Ivo was right,” he said. “There’s something down there.” They started moving again but didn’t make it that far before a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere and stopped them in their tracks. 

Arsenal dugs his heels into the ground, but that did little to help because he was blown off his feet in the next few seconds. He landed roughly on his back with Robin on his right and Superboy on his left. They all looked up and saw Red Tornado floating above them on a large tornado. Red Tornado moved his arms and created more tornadoes. They all spun in place, forming a circle with the Team in the center. 

“Why, Tornado?!” Miss Martian demanded, pushing herself into a crouch. “Why are you doing this?!” There was no reply, only more tornadoes. She looked at the others. ‘Message received?’ she asked over the mind link. 

Superboy nodded. “Who cares why?!” he yelled. He got to his feet and ran at Red Tornado with Aqualad on his heels. 

“Superboy,” Aqualad yelled. “Maneuver 7!” Superboy stopped and spun around. He cupped his hands together, which Aqualad stepped into. In one smooth motion, Superboy lifted him up and Aqualad jumped up. The combined momentums carried Aqualad up to Red Tornado and he pulled his fist back, but Red Tornado punched first. The punch knocked Aqualad back onto the ground. 

A flicker of worry went Arsenal as he, Artemis, and Robin ran toward Tornado. The two archers shot arrows up at him, but he created a strong gust of wind that knocked the projectiles away. “Look out!” Arsenal yelled, grabbing the two teens by the backs of their costumes and jerking them back. One of his electroshock arrows hit right where Artemis had been standing and the other hit his foot. It was a glancing blow and didn’t have the whole force it would’ve had from being shot from an arrow, but it still caused his body to jerk. “Ah!” he shouted as pain zapped through his foot and up his shin to his knee. The three of them fell on the ground. Arsenal lifted his head and something on the ground near the tornados caught his eye. He glanced at Robin, who discreetly showed him something on his hologlove. Arsenal groaned and fell back against the ground as Artemis saw Robin’s holo-glove and the two of them dropped down as well. 

Kid Flash heard his scream and glared up at Red Tornado. “That’s it Tornado!” he yelled running faster than the winds to cut through them. He started spinning in a circle when he got close enough and created a little tornado of his own. Miss Martian flew at Red Tornado from behind, but he spun around and grabbed her wrist when she tried to punch him. Without missing a beat, he threw her into Kid Flash’s tornado, causing them both to hit the ground. 

With the rest of the Team down, Zatanna stepped up to help them. “Etaerc a... a... dleihs dnuora ym-“ she stuttered, only to be cut off by Red Tornado grabbing her throat. She started choking as his metal hand cut off her air, then threw her onto the ground with the others. 

For a few moments everything as still, then they heard someone talking. 

“Quite a performance brother,” the robotic voice said. “But we both know that’s all it was.”

‘Damn it!’ Kid Flash swore over the mind link, while no one dared move. 

“I have all your memories, Tornado. Plus a next Gen processor. I know your next move before you do.” There was a rumbling sound, causing everyone to finally sit up. The rock with the words ‘Play Dead’ crumbled before them in the sky, held up by an android who looked like Red Tornado, but with a more brutal design and glowing lines on his body; like magma glowing through cracks in the crust. “Blowing the message play dead into the sand?” He launched the pieces of rocks at the Team and they moved. Aqualad created two swords with his water bearers and Superboy joined him in jumping up at the rocks. Arsenal pulled two of the explosive arrows from his quiver and took a second to aim before he shot them; then reloaded and shot the other two. His arrows hit the rocks in the back, but some made it past the first defenses. Miss Martian used her telekinesis to move the rock over her head, but that resulted in it almost crushing Arsenal, Zatanna, and Robin. Robin somersaulted backward as Arsenal threw himself back and grabbed Zatanna’s shoulder to pull her back.

‘Arsenal, Zatanna, you ok?’ Robin asked over the mind link. 

‘Fine,’ they replied at the same time. They looked up and saw Red Tornado flying away. 

‘Hey!’ Artemis thought as she ran at Red Volcano. ‘Is he abandoning us?!’

‘I don’t believe that,’ Miss Martian replied. 

“No mere human can stop me,” Red Volcano told them. 

“We’re not human!” Miss Martian and Superboy yelled as they both came at him. 

“Apologies. I suppose the more inclusive term would be…” He created two giants hands out of stone, which clapped together, briefly crushing them, before letting them fall to the ground. “Meat bags.” 

Aqualad and Artemis ran up next, but the ground opened up under their feet. Hanging back with Robin, a stab of panic went through Arsenal. He moved toward the chasm, but Robin stopped him. The younger vigilante shook his head and nodded toward Volcano. A clear sign of “focus on him”. Arsenal hesitated, but Robin didn’t wait and went ahead with his attack. Then Arsenal saw Aqualad and Artemis land on the edge of the chasm and he nodded. He followed Robin up a piece of rock. Robin jumped off as he threw an exploding bat-a-rang, while Arsenal pulled two arrows out of his quiver and shot them. Red Volcano was unaffected by both projectiles though. 

“Tornado’s memory files in my and my superior processing speed allow me to predict your every move.”

“Emoks emoceb a dlofdnilb!” Zatanna yelled, holding her hand up at the android. Smoke suddenly whirled around his eyes and wrapped around his head like a blindfold. “Tornado never knew my moves.”

“I bet you’ve got some good ones,” Robin replied. Arsenal gave him a look and the teen gave a nervous half-chuckle. “Sorry, that came out a little too “Wally”.”

Zatanna chuckled a little. “I don’t mind.”

‘Please don’t encourage him,’ Arsenal thought. 

Unfortunately, Red Volcano used his laser eyes to break through the blindfold at that moment; and a volcano behind him exploded simultaneously. Lava now flowed freely and quickly toward the Team. Red Volcano took advantage of the situation and threw two flaming rocks at them. 

Kid Flash dove to the side to avoid it. ‘He’s activated a Stage 2 eruption,’ the speedster explained over the mind link. ‘If it gets to Stage 3, you can kiss the hemisphere good-bye.’

‘Hit him from all sides,’ Aqualad replied. He created two swords with his water bearers and launched himself at Red Volcano, but the Android hit him in the abdomen with a rock. Superboy tried to punch him, but Volcano simply caught his fist and threw him to the side. Miss Martian made herself invisible and tried to pull him apart from behind, but with a wave of his hand lava spring up like a geyser; which caused her to shriek and try to shy away from the heat. 

“M’gann!” Superboy yelled, running toward her. Red Volcano leaped down from his rock and landed between them. Almost without effort, the android backhanded Superboy away, then turned to Miss Martian. He picked up the weakened girl by her cape. 

‘M’gann!’ Arsenal thought in panic. 

Zatanna steeped up behind Wally and whispered something to him. He nodded and knelt down. “Ekoms dna srorrim... Etaerc Dik Hsalf snoisulli!” she yelled, waving her hand. Smoke plumes appeared, then spun out to reveal Kid Flash clones. The clones all ran at Red Tornado as the original Kid Flash did. Arsenal and Artemis gave Zatanna looks of shock. “I-I use a scaled down version to sneak out of the house.”

“We’re so keeping her,” Arsenal muttered as he nocked an arrow to his bow. Artemis nodded in agreement as she did the same. 

The Kid Flash clones were bombarded by rocks from Red Volcano, which turned them back into smoke when they hit. However, it kept him distracted enough that the real Kid Flash was able to sneak up behind him. The speedster zoomed by, snatching Miss Martian away from Volcano as he did. Kid Flash stopped by the rest of the Team and set Miss Martian down. A second later, a strong geyser of water exploded out of the ground and knocked Red Volcano backward into the lava. 

“Nice hit!” Robin said to Aqualad, who just looked confused.

“The hit was not mine,” Aqualad replied, showing off his unlit and empty water-bearers. He glanced off to the side and pointed. “Look!” 

There was another android, one of the ones who’d attacked the mountain, standing several yards away. He created more water streams that hit Volcano and knocked him back again. Still not beaten, Red Volcano slowly created a pillar of rock to pull himself out of the lava, but Red Tornado flew down from the sky and destroyed it. Red Volcano fell back int the lava again but stood right up. Before he could move, fireballs rained down from overhead. Arsenal’s grip on his bow tightened and Artemis bit back a gasp as they spotted the female android who’d also attacked the mountain. The two archers glanced at each other, then took a subconscious stop toward each other. The newest arrival kept up her attacks, throwing fireball after fireball until she was almost in the lava herself. 

“Sister, brothers, stop!” Red Volcano yelled, pulling the female android down to his level and grappling with her. Instead of replying, or obeying, the water android dove into the lava and locked Volcano in a headlock. Red Tornado hovered above them for a moment before forcing them into the lava even more. Even from the distance, they were from the fight, the Team could see the metal literally melting off the androids as the temperature increased around them. “Father would be so disappointed.” Aqualad looked at Superboy, who nodded and ran to the lava. He heard Volcano short-circuited, then jumped across the lava, pulling Red Tornado out as he did. 

Despite the android being gone, there was no time rest because the volcano kept rising the ground skiing and rumbling as it did. 

“Tornado, listen,” Kid Flash said. “We’re on the verge of a Stage 3 supervolcano eruption. There’s no turning back from that. We need to vent pressure, now. But the ash cloud will create a worldwide nuclear winter unless you divert it.” Red Tornado nodded. Kid Flash looked at Robin. “Triangulate around the pressure lotus.” 

“Right,” Robin said, pulling out his holo-glove. Within a few seconds, three red dots appeared on the holographic mountain. “There, There, and there.” Kid Flash looked at Arsenal, who shook his head. 

“I don’t have anymore exploding arrows,” Arsenal replied. “Robin, give me three exploding bat-a-rangs.” Robin complied and Arsenal took one. Taking a string from one of his pouches, he tied to the arrowhead. He handed it to Artemis, then did the same with two more arrows. “That’ll have to do.” He and Artemis fired the three arrows at the supervolcano. They hit their targets and exploded. 

This released the ash cloud and Red Tornado flew toward it. Up in the air, he created a spinning full that sucked the ash cloud in and dissipated it. Down on the ground, the rumbling and shaking had stopped and the lava cooled. 

“Yes!” Kid Flash cheered. Red Tornado landed and fell onto his hands, due to his not having legs. The Team ran over to him and Robin looked him over. 

“He needs help,” the vigilante said. He looked up at Arsenal. “And a good engineer.”

Arsenal’s hesitation was only for a second before he answered, “Get him on the bioship and I’ll do a rough diagnostic. So I’ll know what to fix when we get back.” 

“Morrow’s lab is closer.”

“Evil genius lab it is then.” 

— — 

Once they made to Morrow’s lab, Arsenal got to work. Knowing there wasn’t a lot he could do about Tornado’s legs, he carefully moved the android’s faceplate. The wires and technology underneath were slightly more complicated than his trick arrows, but he deduced his way through the issues. ‘Ok, just a little more suturing here and another screw here…’ When he finished attaching the last wire, nearly an hour later, he stepped back. “There, that should do it.” Noticing some aroid parts laying nearby, he went over to them to see what he could do about Tornado’s legs.

“Yes,” Red Tornado said as the faceplate over back into place. “I can speak again.”

“You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save the planet,” Aqualad said, approaching him. 

‘He absolutely was,’ Arsenal thought, almost shifting from one foot to the other.

“The planet would’ve survived, It is humanity that was saved, though not by me. My sister and brother were the true heroes this day.”

“My point is this: you were never the mole. Never a traitor.”

‘No. I left to protect you from further attack and to find my creator. Morrow.”

“Cool!” Kid Flash shouted suddenly, holding up an android hand. “Souvenir!”

“Tornado,” Arsenal said, approaching with a foot. “We can rebuild you. Probably better than you were before.”

“I do not believe I should be repaired,” Red Tornado replied. That caused Arsenal to hesitate, but before he could say anything, Superboy spoke up. 

“Why’d you even volunteer to become our den mother in the first place?” he demanded, the question seeming to come out of nowhere. 

“I was the pragmatic choice. I do not require sleep. I have no secret identity or second life to live.”

“You do have advanced A.I. programming designed to learn, adapt, evolve,” Kid Flash said, playing with the hand he’d found. 

“Hello, Megan!” Miss Martian smiled. “You wanted to become more human.”

“You sure can’t do that with the League,” Zatanna said. “They’re stiffs.”

“You’re sure not gonna learn emotion from Batman,” Robin said. Arsenal hummed quietly in agreement and nodded. “Trust me.”

“Then the cave was not a training ground only for us,” Aqualad said. “But for you as well.”

“I do not know if these statements are accurate, but perhaps they are true. And if I understand the term correctly, I believe I have come to…care about you all.” 

“Well…” Arsenal said quietly as he looked down at the foot, then back at Red Tornado. “If you care about us, then let us care for you. Let us fix you. Friends deserve a second chance, after all.” Robin gave him a look of pride. 

“See?” Superboy asked. “Practically a meat bag already.”

“That reminds me,” Red Tornado said, “I must find Morrow.”

“You’re gonna need legs for that,” Arsenal said, stepping up to the table and getting to work. Reattaching legs turned out to be a lot easier than he thought it’d be. The whole process was oddly reminiscent of building tricks arrows. This didn’t take as long and in under an hour, Red Tornado was able to stand. 

“Thank you, Arsenal,” Red Tornado said, looking down at the archer. “You are very talented at building and repairing things.”

“Thanks. I try.”

“This is where I must leave you, now. I will return, but not until I find Morrow.”

“Go then,” Superboy told him. “Go do what you need to.” 

Red Tornado nodded, then turned away. The Team walked collectively to the exit. On the way back to Bioship, Robin walked closely to Arsenal. He smiled up at his brother and rub his back a bit, trying to show him how proud he was. Arsenal looked at him and gave his younger brother a nod. Aqualad noticed the exchange but didn’t comment on it. He barely even looked at Arsenal, even when they were on the bioship. At first, the ride was silent, with everyone a little too tired to talk. 

At some point though, Robin leaned forward and touched Zatanna’s arm to get her attention. “So, best kidnapping ever?” he asked.

“Actually, yeah. Best ever.”

“First of many, I hope.”

“If my dad doesn’t ground me for life.”

— — 

When they got back to Mount Justice and disembarked from the ship, all of their mentors were waiting for them in the hangar. All of them.

“Zatanna,” Zatara said angrily, his voice sharp and his eyes narrowed. 

“Later guys,” Zatanna whispered as her shoulders dropped and she followed her father out of the hangar. 

“Kid,” Flash said simply. 

“Nice knowing you guys,” Kid Flash joked as he walked over to Flash, not a trace of regret in his body. 

“Kadur’ahm,” Aquaman said, summoning Aqualad. Their leader followed his mentor with his head up and his shoulder’s back.

Batman simply looked at Robin, then Arsenal then turned around and walked away. Robin sighed quietly as they followed. The two vigilantes stuck close to each other as they followed their mentor through the zeta. Once in Gotham, they then followed him to the bat-mobile. Batman still didn’t say a word to them. Arsenal glanced back at Robin from the passenger seat. Robin shrugged a little bit. What else could they do? The silence was plucking at Arsenal’s anxiety idly, but he didn’t feel telltale signs of an anxiety or panic attack. So that was good at least. Upon arriving at the Bat cave, the two younger vigilantes followed Batman to the center of the cave, where he suddenly turned on them. For five minutes he stood there, staring down at his two proteges. The heavy silence wasn’t even broken by the flapping and squeaking of the bats.

“So…,” Robin said eventually, breaking the science that had permeated the cave. “You gonna talk sometime soon, B?” Batman continued to say nothing. “We’re in a lot of trouble, then huh?” Still no reply. 

“We’re grounded aren’t we?” Arsenal asked. 

“One week,” Batman growled, speaking for the first time. “No patrol. No cave. No Mount Justice.” He looked at Robin. “School, homework, bedroom.” He looked at Roy. “Helping Alfred clean the whole Manor all week. No tv, no computer, no electronics at all. Understood?”

“Yes, Batman.”

“Yes, Batman,” Robin replied quietly. 

“Bed. Now.” 

Within twenty minutes, Roy and Dick had both gotten out of their suits and were upstairs in their rooms. Well, Roy was in his bedroom, Dick was sneaking into Roy’s. When the elder left his bathroom— now dressed and ready for bed— and saw his younger brother on his bed he rolled his eyes. “We’ve only been grounded for like….half an hour and you’re already breaking the rules.”

“Please, we’ve been grounded since we left Mount Justice today,” Dick replied easily as he sat on Roy’s bed. Roy simply pulled the blanket out so hard it toppled the teen off the bed. 

“He was literally so mad he couldn’t even talk to us.”

“Nah, he was just doing the to scare us.” Dick climbed back onto the bed. “Besides, it was worth it, wasn’t it?”

“….Yeah. It was.” 

“Did you really mean what you said to Red Tornado?” Roy stopped making up his bed to look at Dick. The teen was sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed, giving him a curious look. 

“…..I did. He didn’t betray us. He was trying to protect us. I-I think maybe Kaldur is right about my needing to really stop assuming the worst about everyone.” He sighed. “I just wish I didn’t have to wait a week to tell him.”

“Well, after a week he probably won’t be mad about it anymore.”

“Think so?”

“Sure.” His head snapped around suddenly. “I thought I heard a floorboard creak.”

“Better get back to your own room.”

“Yeah. Night, Roy.”

“Night, Dick.” With Dick gone, Roy turned off the light and laid down in his bed. ‘Not everyone wants to hurt me,’ he thought as he stared up at the dark ceiling. ‘Bruce was so mad tonight, but he didn’t even yell. And Tornado…he was trying to protect us all along.’ He snuggled down into the blankets. ‘I’m really going to try giving people the benefit of a doubt. At least my friends. Yeah, I can start with them.’ Roy rolled over on to his side. ‘And in a week I can make up with Kal.’ That thought made him very excited to go back to Mount Justice.


	27. Failsafe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's technically Thursday, but I was busy and I didn't want you guys to have to wait until Sunday. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

The Team was getting ready for a training exercise when the alarms started going off. Red Tornado walked over to the main computer brought up a holographic screen. As he pinpointed the cause of the alarm, the Team gathered behind him quietly. On the screens, they saw The Bat-plane and Green Lanterns approaching what seemed to be an alien space ship. 

“Attention,” John Stewart said, his ring amplifying his voice. “You’ve entered into Earth space. Disengage all weapons and engines. This is your final warning.”

Instead of replying, red circle on the exterior of the ship started to glow. In the same second it fired a beam, the Green Lanterns created balls of light around themselves. For a few seconds the spheres held, but the laser overwhelmed them, and disintegrated first the spheres and then the Green Lanterns inside them. 

“Code red,” Batman said, apparently undisturbed by the loss. “Full offensive deploy.” Superman, Martian Manhunter, Captain Atom, and Captain Marvel. The red circle fired up and she another laser. The beam split into two when the four heroes split into two groups. At first, they were able to avoid it, but only for two seconds. Martian Manhunter and Captain Atom were caught by it and disintegrated by the laser within a second. The other one swooped around and caught Superman and Captain Marvel as well. They were able to see the Bat-plane swoop by, pursued by the laser. An escape pod jettisoned right before the Bat-plane was destroyed. The escape pod was approached by a smaller ship, but still bigger than the pod itself, and was blasted and disintegrated. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Arsenal felt he should’ve been concerned about Batman being dead, but something stopped him. Every time the thought popped up something relegated it to a small portion of his brain. Like the memory of a dream right after you woke up and realized it wasn’t real. 

Another screen popped up with the words “Incoming Message” displayed. It revealed Zatara. “Tornado,” he said, slightly aghast. “Did you-“

“Yes,” Red Tornado answered. “We saw. Celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures.”

“Affirmative. See you in the field.” The second screen disappeared. 

Red Tornado turned to the Team. “I’m going to join the League in the field. We will protect the planet at all costs. But should we fail, the responsibility falls to you.”

“We stand ready,” Aqualad said after looking over the Team for a moment. Red Tornado left and Aqualad brought up more screens so they could monitor the situation. The first thing the second screen showed as the news in Central City. 

“I’m Iris West-Allen reporting live,” Iris said into the camera. “Extra-terrestrials have brought their relentless attack to Central City.” Behind her, the lasers destroyed a footbridge over the road, then disintegrated groups of running civilians. There was a sudden blur of movement right before another blast, whisking Iris away. Two small ships flew down and hovered in front of the camera, which backed up, but a gold wall appeared in front of it. 

“Tropsnart siht namaremac ot ytefas!” Zatara’s voice said. The light of the wall got brighter, then receded. The camera, now in a new location, panned up to reveal Zatara standing there. The Flash ran in, then set Iris down. “You should both be safe here. For now.”

Iris turned to her husband. “Thank you…Flash,” she said, hesitating slightly before his name. “And Zatara.” The Flash simply put a hand on her shoulder before running off. She watched him go with a slightly worried look. 

“Etaerc a noitativel csid!” A disc appeared under Zatara’s feet and he followed Flash in the air. 

Iris looked back at her cameraman. “Danny, you ok?” she asked. A thumbs up appeared in the camera. She lifted her microphone. “As you can see, the Justice League is attempting to….hold the line.” She gestured to a rooftop where civilians were screaming for help. Flash stopped on the rooftop and Zatara hovered nearby. One of the ships shot the rooftop, blowing it up. “No…” Iris whispered, staring, horrified, at the rooftop. 

The feed switched to Cat Grant in the newsroom as a ship came up behind Iris. “Iris!” Cat yelled to the other reporter. “Iris, get out of there!” The feed suddenly cut out. From the corner of his eye, Arsenal saw Kid Flash winced but then his face smoothed out to the same unworried look they all wore. She stared at the static for a moment before pulling herself together and turning back to the camera. “I’m sorry we’re experiencing technical difficulties from out Central City feed. We take you now to a devastating attack in Taipei, where another League group is having a bit more luck.” 

They now saw Taipei, where Hawkman and Hawkwoman were swooping back and forth to avoid lasers as they tried to hit the ships. Unfortunately, they weren’t fast enough and the laser caught them both at the same moment. The camera changed to Black Canary, who stood in a rooftop and brought down two ships were her cry. Despite being there alone with no one watching her back, she was standing there without a trace of fear. Another ship broke through the ship though and got her with a laser as well. It switched bad to Cat Grant.

“I’m afraid we’ve lost Black Canary, Hawkman, and Hawkwoman,” she said, unhelpful repeating what they’d just seen. “Other heroes reported dead or missing in Batman, Icon, Atom, and Aquaman.” 

Moving almost mechanically, Arsenal walked forward and reached over Robin’s shoulder to make another screen appear. This one showed the attack in Star City. Here, there were no League members, just one archer in green on a rooftop. Green Arrow fired arrow after arrow up at the attacking ships, but they were only ineffective. A laser disintegrated him before he even had time to pull another arrow from his quiver. A rock settled in Arsenal’s stomach, but it was gone as soon as the thought was once again relegated away with Batman’s apparent death. 

Robin directed his attention to another screen, which showed Wonder Woman, who’d lassoed one of the ships in the air. She swung it around and knocked it into one that was flying by. She smiled in victory for a moment, until someone said, “Wonder Woman, above you!” She turned around just in time for a blast to hit her and disintegrate her. It moved to Red Tornado, the one who’d spoken. As soon as they saw him on the screen, his voice was heard in the cave. “Red Tornado to the Cave,” he said. “I fear I am all that remains of the League.”

“RT-“ Robin began, but a laser hit Red Tornado and disintegrate him in the next moment. There was a moment of silence in the Team. 

“We are all that remains of heroes now,” Aqualad said. 

“So what’re we waiting for?” Superboy asked. “A theme song?”

“A strategy. Earth weapons are ineffective. And it has been made tragically clear a direct attack will not succeed.”

“Especially not arrows,” Arsenal muttered, glancing down at his bow. Artemis did the same.

“Checking satellite imagery,” Robin said, typing away at his hologolve. A holo-glove appeared with sections highlighted in red. “Here’s where the alines are now.”

“This one get lost?” Superboy asked, pointing to a red dot in the Arctic. 

“That’s Superman’s Fortress of Solitude!”

“….Superman has a Fortress of Solitude?”

“The power source must’ve attracted the aliens’ attention.”

“At least enough to send a scout ship to investigate,” Arsenal added. 

“Must be some fortress…” Superboy muttered as he turned away. 

“Conner,” Miss Martian said. 

“No, it's ok. Guess there’s a lot about Superman I’ll never know…. Uh, you know, now.”

“We will target this lone ship,” Aqualad said. 

“Yeah,” Kid Flash agreed; almost angrily. “Break it down. Build more. Hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo.” Artemis elbowed him. “Ow!”

“Martian and Kryptonian in the house,” she whispered. Kid Flash looked over at Miss Martian and Superboy, who were giving him even looks. 

“Uh….huh-huh….Not all aliens are automatically ugly.” Robin and Arsenal rolled their eyes. 

“Let’s go,” Aqualad said. “We have a world to save.”

— — 

When they arrived in the Arctic, they did find the lone ship outside the Fortress of Solitude. Artemis and Arsenal crouched down behind a snowbank. Arsenal silently handed her one of his foam arrows. Miss Martian flew up behind the ship invisibly and used her telekinesis to break off part of one of the wings. 

‘Communications disabled,’ she said over the mind link. The ship fell into the snow. ‘Propulsion disabled.’ 

Artemis and Arsenal nodded to each other, then stepped out from their hiding place with arrows drawn. They both shot the door, which caused a very thick layer of foam to cover it. The two archers ducked back behind their snowbank and as the ship started shooting wildly. ‘And ETs are sealed inside,’ Artemis said.

From below the ice, Aqualad suddenly burst out of the water. He landed on the ship and the canon swiveled to face him. It started firing up, but Wolf jumped out of nowhere and latched onto the cannon with his teeth. It swung around with the momentum and Superboy grabbed it to hold it still. Wolf dropped other ground as Kid Flash and Robin approached. 

‘Identifying weapon’s structural stress points and links to the ship,’ Robin said as he pulled up the scanner on his holo-glove. He had the information within a few seconds. ‘Here, here, and here.’ Miss Martian hit all three points with her telekinesis. There was a cracking sound and Superboy attempted to pull the cannon free. Behind him, there was a beeping sound and a firing up. Wolf suddenly jumped back not the ship and knocked Superboy off. A laser hit Wolf, disintegrating him. Miss Martian, Robin, and Superboy all stared for a moment. 

‘Wolf,’ Miss Martian thought idly. 

’There’s no indication of feedback.’ Robin looked back at Superboy. ‘I’m sorry.’ 

‘….Can’t do anything about it now,’ Superboy replied. He climbed back onto the ship and grabbed the canon. ‘Let’s go.’ With a shout and a lot of effort, he was able to pull the weapon free. The bioship flew over to them, now invisible, and he and Miss Martian jumped on. She laced her hand son the ship and part of it ruche dup to connect to the end of the canon. 

‘rerouting system to integrate weapon into ship’s biometrics,’ she said. ‘Need to de-camouflage for a few minutes.’ The ship reappeared as Kid Flash, Robin and Aqualad stood by it. Arsenal and Artemis looked at each other, then stood up. 

‘We don’t have a few minutes!’ Arsenal told her when eh saw tow more ships come flying in. 

‘Miss Martian, open fire!’ Aqualad warned.

“Can’t,” Miss Martian replied. ‘The weapons’ systems are off-line to incorporate the new canon. And that’s not fully integrated yet either.’

‘We got you covered!’ Artemis shouted in the mind link as Arsenal handed her an explosive arrow and they nocked their bows. 

‘Get inside!’ Arsenal told them. They both fired then started running. ‘We’re almost there!’ The explosive arrows took out the ships and grounded them. The two archers were nocking their bows again as they ran, not noticing the cannon of one of the ships was now pointed at them. 

‘Artemis, Arsenal!’ Miss Martian yelled suddenly, turning around. ‘It’s going to hit you!’ They stopped and turned around, Artemis a few seconds faster than Arsenal. There was a patch of ice under the older archer’s foot that caused him to slip and fall backward mid-turn. As soon as he hit the ground, the laser hit Artemis and she was disintegrated. ‘Artemis!’ 

The shock hit Arsenal’s brain and he waited for it to get relegated and tucked away. Except it didn’t. The pain and grief locked in the back of his mind were suddenly set free and it overtook his brain. His chest contract and his whole body froze. That feeling he’d had like he’d woken up and the dream wasn’t real, was now gone. The dream was real; this nightmare was real. Arsenal didn’t even move when they canon changed targets and pointed at him.

“Artemis!” Kid Flash shouted, almost desperately. 

“Arsenal, move!” Robin yelled, sounding a lot more scared than he had before.

“Get inside!” Aqualad ordered as he pulled out his water bearers. He whipped at the water, creating a large wave that bypassed the archer and knocked the ship off its trajectory. The shot was instead fired up into the air. With the ship in the air, Aqualad created ice shards all around it, then impaled them into it. The ship was destroyed and he ran to Arsenal. “Come on!” Having no time for anything else, he grabbed the archer’s arm and dragged him toward the ship. After a few steps, Arsenal’s brain regained a semblance of control and he was able to pull away and run on his own. They reached the others and Robin immediately hugged his brother. Arsenal put a hand on Robin’s back as he half-turned back to see the remnants of the ship fall to the ground. 

“They’re dead,” Kid Flash growled. Like Arsenal, his grief had been unlocked and now filled his every cell with anger as his uncle; aunt, and Artemis’ deaths all flashed through his mind at super speed, again. And again. And again. “Every single alien, if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Let’s go,” Aqualad ordered quietly. They boarded the bioship silently. The silence prevailed as they left the arctic circle, broken only by Miss Martian’s crying. Arsenal kept glancing back at the empty seat every few seconds. The tightening in his chest kept going and a cold rock settled in his stomach. 

“Gah!” Kid Flash started hitting his console with his hands. “Ah! Ah! Ah!”

“There will be time to mourn later,” Aqualad said, not unkindly. “Now we have a job to do.” He stood up and everyone looked at him. “Defend the Earth, and ensure Artemis’ sacrifice was not in vain.”

“Back to the Cave?” Miss Martian asked, having gained control of herself. 

“The Hall of Justice.” Arsenal and Robin shared a look. “The human race must know there are still humans defending them. here is still hope.”

— — 

When they arrived in Washington D.C., the military was trying their best to take down attacking ships. The Bio-Ship came up above the aliens and Superboy dropped out. He landed on one of them, which broke the can off as he landed. He started punching the ship, damaging it enough to ground it. The Bioship she down the other two. Superboy’s ship skidded to a stop in front of the general and his soldiers as the bioship landed. The door opened to reveal the team inside. The soldiers started cheering for them. 

“See,” one of the soldiers said. “It is Superman. Told you he wouldn’t leave us out here alone.”

“I don’t know,” another one replied. “He’s kind of young. Where’s the cape?”

“I’m not Superman,” Superboy said as he turned around. 

“I don’t care who you are, son,” the general said as he stepped forward. “And I don’t care. You wear the ’S’ and got the job done.”

“I’m not Superman.”

“Tell that to the enemy.” He turned to Aqualad as the young hero parched him and saluted. “General Eiling, US Air Force.” 

“Aqualad,” Aqualad replied. “Justice League. We’ll help you salvage as many of the aliens’ cannons as possible. Then we start taking back what is ours.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Not as of yet. First, we must go to the Hall of Justice.” 

General Eiling nodded. “Do what you need to. Myself and some men will go with you to back you up.”

“Thank you, General.” Aqualad looked back at the others. “Let’s go.” 

Luckily, the Hall of Justice wasn’t that far away. Even from a distance though, they could tell how damaged it was. Walking inside, Arsenal couldn’t help but flashback to seeing it for the first time. When he was 14 and starting out as Arsenal. When the prospect of being the League brought the promise of a bright future without murder and twisted morality. Staring up at where the now demolished statues had once stood, he was reminded of how deep his wish to join the League had run. ‘Not like this though,’ he thought, pulling his gaze away. ‘Not like this.’

“They’re really gone,” Robin whispered. His eyes were locked on the severed head of Batman’s statue. Arsenal put a hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. Bypassing everyone else, Miss Martian flew forward to her uncle’s fallen statue. She put her hand on it and started crying quietly. The grief in Arsenal’s mind was suddenly worse and he forcibly grippe this bow to force himself to stay strong. The crying suddenly cut off and Miss Martian flew away from the statue. She raised her hand and lifted it with her telekinesis. Underneath was a very obviously confused Martian Manhunter. “Uncle J’ohn!” She threw the statue to the side and flew toward him, but Aqualad intervened. 

‘M’gann, check his mind,’ their leader ordered through the mind link. ‘Make sure he is who he appears to be.’ Robin’s hand dropped to his utility belt and Arsenal put his hand to his quiver. There was a moment of silence.

‘It’s him!’ Miss Martian confirmed. ‘He’s real and he’s alive!’

“But we saw you get disintegrated,” Superboy said. “You and Superman. And everyone.”

“Yes,” Martian Manhunter replied as his niece helped him stand. “I remember. But I cannot remember how I survived. Or how I arrived here.”

“Maybe you were density shifting,” Miss Martian suggested. “and the beam passed right through you.”

“Scrambling your brains along the way!” Robin added. 

“My mind is clouded,” Martian Manhunter admitted, putting a hand on his head. “I feel certain I had something important to tell you.”

‘Hello, Wally!’ Kid Flash said in the mind link suddenly. ‘Come on!’ He led Robin back out toward the bioship causing Arsenal to follow. ‘Robin, scan the canon again.’ Robin did so and Kid Flash looked over his shoulder. ’I knew it! Look! It’s giving off zeta beams! The same stuff that powers our zeta tubes. This thing doesn’t disintegrate, it teleports! ‘ He leaned into Robin’s personal space with a large grin. ‘Artemis is alive!’ 

Robin simply looked down at his holo-glove with an impartial look on his face. ‘Maybe-‘

‘No maybe’s! They’re all alive!’

Arsenal looked up at Robin. ‘Do you think it’s true?’ he asked in a whisper.

Robin seemed to hesitate before he gave a nod. ‘I think so, yeah,’ the boy wonder replied. 

“That must’ve been what you wanted to tell us!” Miss Martian said to her uncle. Martian Manhunter simply put his hand to his head; as if uncertain this was the case. The sound of approaching ships got their attention and everyone was on guard. Robin and Kid Flash joined Arsenal as they hid against a tank with a couple of soldiers. 

‘We’re on our way!’ Aqualad told them.

‘Negative,’ Robin replied. ‘We can’t win this. Miss Martian, camo the bio ship-‘ A beam hit the ship and cut him off. The ship disintegrated. 

Inside the Hall, Miss Martian cried out and fainted; her anguish pulling her uncle down as well. 

“M’gann!” Superboy said. Aqualad knelt down to help Martian Manhunter. As Superboy pulled Miss Martian into his arms he saw the tears streaming down her face. 

“That…didn’t feel like…” she began, unable to go on.

‘We’re falling back!’ Robin told them in the mind link. The three heroes, General Eiling, and the soldiers with them ran into the Hall. 

“We’re trapped,” General Eiling said when he saw the wall facing them. 

Aqualad opened up the door. “Maybe not,” he said. They walked into the library on the other side and two soldiers stayed behind to hold down fire. “We can zeta to the Cave.” He looked back at Martian Manhunter, who was being helped by Miss Martian. “If you can grant us access to the tubes.”

“I can only authorize one at a time,” Martian Manhunter told them. 

“Send the soldiers first.”

“Absolutely not,” General Eiling, said. “You six are assets we cannot afford to lose.” Everyone looked at Aqualad, who nodded. 

Martian Manhunter got to work. “Override, Martian Manhunter. 07,” he said as he was scanned.

“Recognized,” the zeta tube said. “Access granted.” It scanned M’gann. “Miss Martian, B-06.” She flew through. It scanned Robin “Robin, B-01.” The boy wonder looked back at Arsenal, who nodded.

“I’m right behind you,” he promised. 

“Kid Flash, B-03.”

There was an explosion on the other side of the closed door. It took out the two soldiers who’d positioned there and Kid Flash stopped in his tracks. Superboy ran back for one of the injured ones and Aqualad shoved Kid Flash through the zeta tube. The soldiers laid down gunfire ad Arsenal shot a barrage of arrows as Superboy shoved rubble off the soldier. A blast dislodged the rock, which allowed Superboy to carry the soldier to the tube. “He goes next,” he said to Aqualad. 

“Fine,” Aqualad said as the soldier was scanned. “Then you.”

“Sgt. Jason Bard, USMC. A-04.”

“Can you make it?” Superboy asked him.

“Sure, Superman,” Bard replied. 

“I’m not-“ he stopped as the zeta scanned him and he looked back. 

“Superboy, B-05,” the zeta tube said. Superboy turned back and jumped through. A beam started disintegrating the soldiers, one after another. Arsenal kept up his attack while Aqualad helped Martian Manhunter to the zeta tube. 

“They need you more than me!” the Atlantean explained. “Go!” He shoved the League member through. He looked back at Arsenal just in time to see the archer stab an arrow into the controls. They sparked and he stabbed another one in. The zeta beam shut. An explosive arrow hit the control panel, completely destroying it. “Arsenal, why did you do that?!”

“We don’t want to take the chance the aliens can figure out how to work it,” he explained. 

“Why did you not go through?!”

“I wasn’t leaving you!” Arsenal felt a surge of emotions. “I-I can’t! You’re my best friend!”

“And you are mine, so you should have gone! I cannot bear to lose you!”

“No! I care about so much I-I-“ Arsenal faltered. “I’d rather die by your side, Kal.” If they died at all. He reached out and put his hand on Aqualad’s arm. “I care so much I could never dream of abandoning you.”

Aqualad nodded. “I feel the same.” A motion caught the corner of his eye and he shoved Arsenal to the ground. As the archer hit the metal floor a beam struck Aqualad, disintegrating him. 

“No! Kaldur!” He looked at the ship and stood up, nocking and drawing an arrow with one smooth motion. His heart was being ripped apart inside his chest as he aimed. ‘Rob says they might not kill us. Wherever you are, Kal. I’m coming. I’m coming.’ He fired his arrow in the same moment the beam was fired. The arrow never reached its target.

— — 

Inside Mount Justice, Robin caught Kid Flash when he fell through. “What happened?” he asked. 

“The aliens got into the Hall!” Kid Flash replied. 

“What?!” Heart pounding in his throat, Robin watched the zeta intensely. A soldier came through, followed by Superboy. ‘Come on, Roy. Come on.’ Martian Manhunter stumbled through and was caught by his niece and Kid Flash. Robin held his breath for a moment, expecting his brother next. That was when the zeta slammed shut. That breath started strangling his lungs. ‘No! No! Nononono!’ He clenched his fists as they started shaking, followed by his arms. ‘Roy! He-he said he was right behind me, how-‘ Robin shook his head and dug his teeth into his lip. ‘I…I have to focus.’ Finally exhaling, he took a deep breath and turned to the others. Superboy, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian all looked at him. Martian Manhunter was resting behind them.

“You got a plan, boy wonder?” Kid Flash asked quietly. He was also very aware of who they were missing. 

“Yeah. I do.” He looked at Superboy and Miss Martian. “We believe the aliens have been teleporting their victims. And the only reasonable detention facility is here.” He brought up an image of the mothership that had landed in Smallville. “The mothership. Atop what used to be Smallville.” He looked back at Martian Manhunter. “Ring any bells?”

“No,” he replied. “I’m sorry.”

“Superboy, you’ll create a distraction.”

“No!” Miss Martian objected. She looked at Conner. “He’s offering you as a sacrifice! Aqualad would never do that!” She turned back to Robin with her last statement. 

Robin bit back the urge to snap that his only brother had just sacrificed himself willingly for their mission. Instead, he took a different route. “You’re right. Aqualad would sacrifice himself. A mistake that just cost us our leader. And my brother.” No one said anything. “Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat. Motivating the aliens to deploy.”

“Worse case, he’s teleported inside,” Kid Flash added. “We set him free along with Artemis. An uh…Aqualad and everyone.”

‘It’s ok, M’gann,” Superboy said to her through the mind link. ‘It’s what Superman would do.’ M’gann frowned but didn’t argue anymore.

“Before we go,” Robin said, setting up a camera through the main computer. “We need to remind the world the heroes are still fighting.”

All over the world, people were held up in basements and hideouts. On every screen on the planet, Miss Martian and Superboy appeared. “People of Earth,” Miss Martian said. “We are here. Our world has been attacked and many lives have been taken. And though we know all seems lost, the one things the aliens cannot destroy is hope.”

“Hope surveys because the battle is not over,” Superbly said. “Not as long as even one of us is willing to fight.” The camera panned to Kid Flash. 

“It doesn’t matter how many fall,” he said. In a bunker, two young heroes with magic watched him as they prepared for battle themselves. “New heroes will always rise to carry on.” The zeta beam fired up and they were joined by young, female Atlantean. 

“Earth will survive this,” Robin added as he stepped forward, past Kid Flash. The camera didn’t show the two utility belts he now worse on his torso in addition to the one on his waist. “We will rebuild, and we will thrive. Never doubt, and never forget. The Earth will never surrender!” All over the decimated world, people cheered.

— — 

Later, in Smallville Kansas, Robin crouched by a bush and pulled out his binoculars. Miss Martian appeared at his side and he whispered low to her, “Stay close to J’ohn. He’s still…” He didn’t go on, but she got the message and nodded. “First team, deploy!” Miss Martian and Martian Manhunter flew away; turning invisible and holding hands as they approached the ship. The reached the wall and he held her tight as he phased both of them through. 

‘Ah,’ Miss Martian groaned in the mind link as they landed on the other side. ‘Ready. In position. Be careful, Conner. I love you.’

Superboy smiled, then looked at Robin, who nodded. He leaped from their hidden perch. Each super powered jump brought I’m closer to the ship until he jumped straight on to it. Going for the closets gun, he strained for a few minutes before pulling it free. 

‘Careful,’ Robin warned him. ‘Don’t disconnect the power source.’

“Alright, you trespassers!” Superboy yelled. “You wanna see how a real alien fights?!” He fired the gun, whose beam cut through several more. There was a hissing sound and dozens of more smaller ships were dispatched. ‘Now or never.’ Kid Flash and Robin started running for the ship. The speedster grabbed his friend and super sped them toward it. They were launched off the cliff and into the docking bay where some of the ships had just flown out from. They hid in an alcove until tow incoming ships passed by.

‘Way’s clear,’ Robin said. ‘Go!’ They kept moving, needing to hide again as a few seconds later. Kid Flash moved his goggles up as an attack bot came down behind them, but something took it out from the side. Miss Martian and Martian Manhunter flew down; the former alerting her teammates with a small blip through the mind link. Robin gestured and Kid Flash followed him. 

Outside, Superboy was struggling. Canons were firing everywhere and he couldn’t keep up. One hit the canon he was holding and it blasted him backward. Then a beam hit him from behind and disintegrated him. 

Inside, Miss Martian fell against her uncle. She moaned as she rightened herself. ‘No,’ she said. ‘He’s gone!’ She fell to her knees and Kid Flash zoomed over to her. 

‘It’s alright,’ he assured her. ‘We’ll find him with all the others. I know it.’ 

‘No,’ Martian Manhunter said. ‘My mind is clearer now. The disintegration beam is exactly that. There is no detention facility. No prisoners to rescue. Our mission holds no purpose.’ 

‘No! You’re wrong!’ Kid Flash got up and grabbed Martian Manhunter by his clothes. “The zeta radiation proves she’s alive! She’s-‘

‘Stop it, KF!’ Robin snapped. He caught his friend by the front of his suit as he turned. ‘I’ve been scanning for League and Team signals since we got inside. They’re not here. Artemis is gone.’ There was a moment of acceptance in his friend's eyes. ‘But our mission still holds purpose. To destroy this mothership.’ Martian Manhunter helped Miss Martian stand up, then he followed Robin, who’d walked away. Miss Martian gave Kid Flash a sad look before he followed as well. Kid Flash growled and took off after them. The group petered another room, ducking down behind a large piece of equipment. In the center was a giant, glowing ball. Robin did a quick scan. ‘This is the power core. Blow this and the whole mothership blows.’ They ran to it.

Robin got ahead of the others and reached it first. As soon as his feet touched down on the platform though, gravity took over. The force pulled him toward the core, but he tried to fight it. The gravity pulled him back again and Robin fell forward in his attempts to break free. Kid Flash dove for his hand, resulting in them both getting dragged to the core. They fell over the edge of the platform and Robin shot a grapple line. It attached to something and jerked them to a stop. Robin stained as he held on to Kid Flash with one hand and the grapple with the other. Above them, an attack bot aimed a canon, but the Martians destroyed it. Miss Martian then used her telekinesis to slowly lower Kid Flash and Robin down safely. Once their feet were on solid ground, Robin took off the extra belts. 

‘You knew,’ Kid Flash realized as he watched his friend work. ‘You knew from the beginning why we were really here.’

Robin stopped finished setting the timer for the bombs to look at him. ‘Four minutes. Let’s go,” he said simply. He waved to Miss Martian and she and Martian Manhunter lifted them back up with their combined telekinesis. The group made straight for the exit, but the doors slid shut. 

‘Perfect.’ They turned around to find aliens had cornered them. It shot a beam at them and they split up. Robin and Kid Flash ducky dint an alcove. The former looked down at his holo-glove. ’60 seconds and counting. Manhunter, take Miss Martian and go.’

‘No!’ Miss Martian protested. ‘We won’t leave you!’

‘That’s an order! We’ll follow as soon as we blow those doors.’ Martian Manhunter grabbed this niece’s hand and phased them through the floor. Robin looked at the countdown, then at Kid Flash. His friend nodded. He pulled out some exploding bat-a-rangs and threw them at the door as they came out from their hiding spot. 

Outside the ship, there was silence. 

And then explosions. 

Two small ones, then a big one that sent the whole ship up in flames. 

Martian Manhunter wide a few seconds before he passed himself and Miss Martian out of the ground; where he’d hidden them from the explosion. They watched the fireball in silence for a few seconds. 

‘Don’t-don’t tell me the mission was a success,’ Miss Martian cried. ‘The price was too high.’ A shadow passed over them and they looked up. There was the mothership. Somehow, completely whole. ‘No.’ Miss Martian walked forward in disbelief. ‘No, no.’ She turned back to her uncle, eyes wide with fear. ‘We have to get out of here, now!’

‘No,’ he replied. ‘We have to end this now!’ Pain stabbed through Miss Martian’s chest-

 

-and she woke up with a gasp. M’gann sat up and looked around. She was alive. She was in Mount Justice. Everyone was alive. Wally had Captain Marvel helping him sit up while Black Canary helped Artemis. Conner was petting Wolf and Kaldur was also trying to sit up. Arsenal was on the floor, breathing so fast he was on the verge of hyperventilating and Robin was sitting with his face covered in sweat. 

“You’re all alive!” M’gann cheered. 

“What happened?” Batman asked Martian Manhunter. 

“The exercise,” Martian Manhunter explained, holding his head. “It all went wrong.”

“Exercise?” Robin asked. Arsenal lifted his head. 

“Try to remember,” Batman told them. “What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the six of you within an artificial reality. You all knew this going in. What you didn’t know was it was a train for failure exercise. No matter what the Team accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still, you were aware nothing was real, including the death of the entire Justice League.”

“That is why you hardly grieved,” Martian Manhunter explained. “Even when Wolf was disintegrated before your eyes. But all that changed when Artemis died.” A shudder went through Arsenal and Wally glanced away. “Though consciously, Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise. And her subconscious took control, making all of you forget too.” Everyone looked at M’gann.

“I-I,” she stuttered. “I’m so sorry.”

“This isn’t her fault,” Superboy said defensively. Why didn’t you stop the exercise?!”

“We tried,” Martian Manhunter replied. “but M’gann had a death grip on the scenario. Even Artemis, who should’ve awake upon her death, was so convinced she’d passed she slipped into a coma. I realized I would have to wrangle control from Miss Martian’s subconscious from within. But upon entering the reality, I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was too much…noise to think clearly. To remember why I was there. The death of Aqualad, Arsenal, and Superboy helped. But only when the mothership exploded and Robin and Kid Flash were silenced did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose. To shock M’gann out of the exercise. Before your comas become permanent.” They were silent. “My apologies. I had no idea the training exercise could be so dangerous. So damaging.” He looked to his niece, who had her face in her hands. Captain Marvel went over to her and she started crying into his chest. 

Martian Manhunter turned away and nearly fell, but Batman and Red Tornado caught him. “As bad as all that?” Batman asked him. 

“Perhaps worse.” 

Dread pulled the Dark Knights chest tight. A glance discreetly at Robin and Arsenal, neither of whom had moved; despite Arsenal sitting on the floor, confirmed his teammate’s words. 

“Yet this is not what troubles you,” Red Tornado guessed. 

“Make no mistake,” Manhunter said as he stood. “My niece is untrained and cannot be held responsible for this- for our debacle.” 

“No one blames her,” Batman replied. “But clearly we underestimated her abilities.”

“Or understated. In terms of raw power, she has the strongest telepathic mind I have ever encountered. Stronger by far than mine.”

Black Canary walked over to them “I called the other mentors,” she said. ”They’re on their way.” 

“Flash, 05,” the zeta tube announced. 

Flash came running out and took only a moment to survey the room before he looked at Batman. “What happened?” he asked.

“I think it would be best if you took Wally home for now,” Manhunter advised. “We will debrief everyone at a later time.” 

Flash nodded and zoomed over to his nephew. He reached out but Wally shook his head and shoved his hand away. A worried frown appeared on the older speedster’s face. 

“Aquaman, 06,” the zeta tube announced. Aquaman also looked to his own teammates upon seeing the state of the proteges. 

“Another time,” Black Canary said. “For now I would advise you take Kaldur back to Atlantis for a few days.” 

Aquaman looked to Kaldur, who was staring at the ground with a strange look on his face and approached him. “Kaldur,” he said gently. “Come on, son.” The rest of the sentence was in Atlantean. “You look like you need rest.” 

“Yes, my king,” Kaldur murmured. He walked slowly to his mentor, passing Arsenal as he did. Their eyes looked for half a second before both of them looked away. 

“Let’s head out too, Kid,” Flash advised. “Come on.” Wally brushed past his uncle, who gave the other League members a worried and angry look before following. 

“I’ll take you home, Artemis,” Black Canary offered. Artemis simply nodded mutely and walked with her toward the zeta tube. 

Batman waited until the zeta announced their departures before approaching his boys. “Robin, Arsenal,” he said. “Let’s go home.” Robin got up and walked toward him, but Arsenal still didn’t move. “Arsenal, let’s go. Arsenal.” No response. Batman looked around. At some point, Red Tornado and Captain Marvel had escorted Conner and M’gann out of the room; along with Manhunter. The three bats were the only ones left. “Roy.” That got his attention. The archer looked up at him. “Come on, Roy. Let’s go home.” Arsenal nodded silently and stood up on shaky legs. He followed Batman to the zeta tube, then followed Robin through it. They both got in the batmobile silently and barely even looking at each other. It was actually unnerving to Batman how quiet and cold they both were for the entire ride.

When they arrived back at the Bat Cave, it was late. Dick hopped out, then practically ran up the stairs into the Manor without even so much as a hello to Alfred. Roy hung back, staring at the floor for a solid minute before following at a slower pace. 

Alfred looked at Bruce with a frown. “What happened?” he asked. It was the boys’ first day back at the mountain after their grounding and he’d expected them to be off the walls about it. 

“We messed up,” Bruce replied simply as he pulled the cowl back. “We really messed up.” 

Upstairs, Roy was stripped down to his underwear but found he didn’t have the energy to change. So, he got under the covers like that. His light was still on, but he didn’t care. ‘It was an exercise,’ he told himself. ‘An exercise.’ Not real. “Just an exercise.” He knew that. He could now remember Batman telling him he didn’t have to do the exercise, but Roy had insisted he was fine to do it. He knew it would be fake after all. It had seemed perfectly safe. A shudder went through him. Exercise or not, the terror that had gripped his chest since he’d woken up and fell off his platform was very, very real. He closed his eyes and pulled his body into a fetal position. ‘What did I do? What did I do? What did I do?’ he asked himself over and over again. His brain kept pinballing around for what felt like hours. Eventually, Roy passed out from sheer exhaustion and was plunged straight into a nightmare.


	28. Trauma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this chapter goes more in-depth with Dick and Roy after the simulation. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

The next morning, Bruce was the first one down to breakfast. A full ten minutes passed before even one of the boys ventured downstairs. Dick was first when he slunk in silent with his head bowed. He sat down at the table without so much as a hello. Another five minutes passed before Roy walked in, head hung low. He sat down and looked down at his hands. Bruce glanced between the two boys, then at Alfred. Alfred gave him a look of raised eyebrows. 

“Here are your breakfasts, sirs,” he said, setting their plates on the table. They didn’t say anything. Dick started eating and Roy simply stared at his plate. Bruce and Alfred exchanged another look before the butler retreated to the kitchen. 

“How’d you boys sleep?” Bruce asked after another three silent minutes. Dick shrugged and kept eating his breakfast. “Roy?” Roy looked at Bruce, which pulled is attention away from the untouched food. The man was taken aback by the bags under his eyes. “Did you sleep last night?” Roy gave a small nod before looking at his plate again. “…Are you hungry, Roy?” 

Roy shook his head. It felt like his stomach had shriveled up and he would throw up if he ate anything. “Can-can I go?” he asked in a quiet voice. 

“Go ahead.” 

Roy left the table, his now cold pancakes still completely untouched. 

Dick finished half his breakfast not even two minutes later, then left the dining room without a word. 

‘They’ll….they’ll be ok,’ Bruce thought, finishing off his first coffee. ‘They just need a couple of days. I’ll give them a couple of days. They’ll be ok. It’ll be ok.’   
— — 

When he got upstairs, Roy was laid on the floor of his bedroom and replayed the nightmare he’d had. The images replayed on a loop, only occasionally interrupted by memories of the simulation the previous day. He closed his eyes and drove the heels of his hands into his eyes. A tremor ran through his spine. In a sudden movement, Roy rolled himself under his bed and curled up in a fetal position on his side. ‘My life: a never-ending series of contradictions. I hate small spaces, but I love it under the bed. I love my little brother but I abandoned him….’ Roy squeezed his eyes shut. He’d only gotten a couple hours of sleep and was exhausted. Sleepiness crept into his muscles, then up his body to his brain. Roy wrapped his arms around himself like a blanket, then let his eyelids droop closed. He was out before he could worry about having a nightmare…

…Roy stood in an alleyway he recognized. When his brain registered the scene around him it sent a spike of alarm through his body. Oliver was there. He stood next to Roy. His hands were up by his head and his eyes focused on the man in front of them. Roy turned his head. The other man was someone he didn’t recognize. That didn’t bother Roy so much though, because he was more focused on the gun in the other man’s hand. A quick glance outward from the barrel told him the anticipated trajectory. 

The gun was pointed at Oliver. 

If Roy was right, and he was about 95% sure, then the bullet wouldn’t get close enough to hit him; but it would kill Oliver. He didn’t know why, but he was certain of that. 

“Roy,” Oliver said, causing him to jump. “Do something.”

“Wha-" Roy looked down, just now noticing he had his bow and there was a quiver on his back. He swallowed and looked at the gunman, realizing what Oliver wanted him to do. 

“You’re not going to do it, are you?” the gunman asked. 

“Uh…” Roy stalled.

“You can’t! He’s a killer! A murderer! He’s hurt more people than he’s saved!”

“Stop him, Roy,” Oliver said. “Shoot an arrow down the barrel.”

“Just stand there. Don’t stop true justice, kid.” 

‘I could do it,’ he thought. ‘If I just…shoot his gun I can stop him.’ 

‘That would save Oliver!’ a voice hissed in his head.

‘But…I can’t let him die. Can I?’ There was no answer. And no more time to think it over either, because the man with the gun pulled the trigger. The loud bang caused Roy to jump—

—and bang his head off the underside of his bed. Roy grunted, then moaned when pain ebbed through his skull. He rubbed the area, then flinched back when someone knocked on his door. 

“Master Roy, are you ok?” Alfred asked through the closed door. 

“Uh… Uh-huh,” Roy replied, still not feeling up to talking to anyone. 

“Are you sure?”

“…Yeah, Alfred.”

“If you're sure, sir. If you are hungry later come and find me. Understood, sir?”

“Uh-huh. Thanks.” Roy rolled over so he was on his stomach, then rested his head on his arms. From this angle, he could see the door and keep an eye out for anyone coming into the room. Frowning, he thought back to the simulation. To watching Oliver die in Star City. It made his stomach twist and churn. Roy tried to block it out, but the images just kept replaying in his head. Over and over and over again. Scrambling out from under the bed, he just barely made it to the bathroom before vomiting. He winced and cringed at how painful the heaves were on his empty stomach. When the heaving finally stopped he sat back and put his head in his hands. He sat like that for several minutes before a knock on the door made him jump. 

“Roy?” Bruce asked from the other side. “Are you…ok?”

“…Yeah…” Roy still didn’t get up, prompting Bruce to open the door after another two minutes of silence. As soon as he saw Roy he frowned even more and his brow furrowed. The young man was white as a sheet and shaking. Sweat covered his face and neck. Bruce knelt down, but he was careful not to get too close. 

“You look sick.” He reached out and put his hand on Roy’s forehead. “You’re warm. Do you feel sick?” 

Roy shrugged. He felt clammy and bone tired, did that count? 

When there was no response, Bruce flushed the toilet, then got a wet washcloth. He wiped down Roy’s face and neck, then helped him stand. “Why don’t you lie down in bed?”

“Mhm…” Roy got to his feet and let Bruce lead him to his bed. ‘Just because I’m laying down doesn’t mean I need to sleep.’ He laid down but didn't have enough energy to get under the blankets. 

Bruce hesitated, wanting to help, but also unsure of what he could do. “Do…do you need something?” Roy shook his head. “Ok. Just…come find someone if you do.” A nod. Bruce left Roy’s room, then wandered over to Dick’s. The teen wasn’t in there, but Bruce had a sneaking suspicion of where he’d be. Bruce followed his instincts and made his way to the gym. He opened the door. On the other side of the room, Dick swung in circles on the double bars. He flipped between bars with surprising speed. Every twist and turn seemed to physically pull him off the bars. Bruce stood in the doorway and watched him for five minutes straight. 

Dick didn’t stop the entire time. He kept moving and flipping with an intense look of concentration. He didn’t even make a conscious stop after five minutes His sweaty palms slipped and caused him to miss the bar. He fell onto the mats and landed so hard that he hit his feet, then the momentum carried him forward to face-plant into the mats. 

Bruce made to walk forward, but befit he even made to two steps Dick moved. In rapid succession, the teen got up, wiped his hands on his tank top, dusted them with chalk, then was back up on the bars flipping again. 

The whole thing lasted about a minute. 

And the entire time he never even saw Bruce (or if he did he didn’t acknowledge him). It unnerved him, but Bruce let it go. ‘He’s just blowing off steam,’ Bruce thought as he closed the door. ‘Once he gets it out of his system and Roy gets some actual rest they’ll both be fine.’ They’d both be fine. His boys were resilient. They’d be fine. 

— — 

The following day started off similar. Bruce called Dick out of school, citing the flu (which led to a small lecture about the importance of vaccinations) to give the teen another day to get back on his feet. Once again, it took ten minutes after Bruce came down for breakfast for either of the boys to join him. Dick sat down and began devouring his cereal with an angry zeal. On Bruce’s other side, Roy was the polar opposite, as he kept poking his cereal at first, then drowned his cheerios under the spoon. 

“Are you hungry, Roy?” Bruce asked after three silent minutes. No response. “You didn’t eat anything yesterday. You need to eat something.” Roy didn’t say anything, but Dick did finish his cereal and leave the room without a word. “…How about one bite?” Roy shook his head. “Come on, Roy, one bite of cereal won’t kill you.” Another head shake.

“Perhaps this will help, sir,” Alfred said as he came in shaking a water bottle. He set the bottle down in front of Roy. “You're keeping beverages down, Master Roy.” Roy nodded, then took a cautious sip of the bottle. He nodded and took another, then left the table with it. Bruce gave Alfred a questioning look. “Protein shake. I thought it might give him some of the essential life fuel he needs. It's not a lot, but there’s no telling how long this fasting may last.”

“Good thinking, Alfred.” Bruce shook his head. “God, did you see how tired he looks? He’s been nightmare free for a year and now they’re back with a vengeance.”

“Which is why I also dug this out of the medicine cabinet.” Alfred brought a bottle of pills from his pocket and placed them in front of Bruce. 

“No.”

“Sir-“

“No, Alfred…he hated the Prazosin.”

“But it was an effective means to control his night terrors, sir.”

“When combined with therapy.”

“Which he still does and I’m sure he still remembers the therapeutic techniques you were both taught to treat the nightmares.” There was continued hesitation on Bruce’s face. “I know he’d be resistant to it, but he needs to sleep and eat. Whatever happened to him in the exercise, he won’t be able to deal with it if he’s starving and sleep deprived.”

“If he doesn’t sleep by tomorrow night I’ll talk to him about it.”

“Good idea, sir.” Alfred walked away, leaving the bottle with Bruce. 

He sighed and took a deep sip of his coffee. ‘A condition of Roy not taking it was that he would return to it if the nightmares returned.’ But this was just a one-off incident. It didn't mean a full-blown relapse. ‘I’ll give him another day. Just…one more day. Then I’ll intervene.’

Upstairs, Roy couldn’t stop drinking the water bottle Alfred gave to him. Originally he’d gone back to laying in bed, but after 30 minutes of laying and drinking from the bottle, he began to feel…different. More clear-headed and energized. Enough energy that he sat up and looked around for a book. ‘I can read,’ he thought. ‘Reading is….good. Yeah. That’s a good thing to do.’ Nodding to himself, Roy grabbed Goblet of Fire from his desk and sat down to read. It went fine at first until his mind started to wander. Wondering what Dick was doing, then to how Dick hadn’t spoken to him in two days, and how Dick would be mad at him for the simulation because he abandoned his brother in the simulation- Roy slammed the book shut, the hardcover giving a soft thud. He closed his eyes and leaned on the book. 

‘I abandoned my brother…’ he thought. ‘I abandoned my own brother, how could I do that?! What kind of person does that?! And I’m contemplating nightmares where I save Oliver’s life?! I must be losing my mind!’ He groaned and hit his forehead with the book. ‘I’m going insane. I’m going insane. It finally happened. I lost my mind. The PTSD finally got to me.’ He took another couple sips of his water bottle, then returned to his book. This time he managed to keep himself focused on his book for a while. Thankfully, by the time he’d finished off the water bottle, his stomach no longer felt shriveled and like he would vomit. On the contrary, he felt kind of full and it was better. It made concentrating on his reading easier. ‘Reading is better than throwing up and just laying in bed all day.’ 

Once again, Bruce checked on both boys. Around noon he went to the gym first and found Dick once again flipping, twisting, and turning on the double bars. He threw himself between the bars without care. It was no specific routine that Bruce could recognize. The slaps of the teen’s palms against the bars were borderline aggressive. Once again, he didn’t notice Bruce stating in the doorway. Bruce stood there for several minutes, just watching Dick flipping and flying between the bars. Eventually, he moved on though, closing the door. When he got upstairs, he knocked on Roy’s door. “Roy?” he asked through it.

“…Come in…” came the quiet reply. 

Bruce entered Roy’s room and found him sitting on his bed. A book was open in Roy’s lap. Neither of them said anything for a minute. “…Everything ok?”

“Uh…I guess…” Roy glanced down at his book, then back up at Bruce. “Do you need something or…is there a problem?”

‘Nothing but problems. I’m sure there’s a lot of problems…’ Bruce decided to simply avoid talking about the exercise to avoid overwhelming Roy.. “No. Just….eat if you’re hungry. Ok?”

“Ok.” Roy went back to his book and Bruce stood in the doorway for an awkward moment before leaving. 

The rest of the day was one of the quietest in the Manor’s history. Bruce spent the day in his office, alternating between looking over papers for his company and checking in on Dick via the Manor’s security cameras. As much as he wished he could keep an eye on Roy too, Alfred had forbad him to put cameras in any of the bedrooms. And Roy didn’t leave his bedroom all day. He didn’t even join Dick for lunch, which made Bruce contemplate if he could force him to eat. Luckily Alfred was already one step ahead of him. Alfred brought another water bottle that Bruce was sure was full of another protein shake. There wasn't a lot of talking between the two of them before the door closed again and Roy disappeared back into his room. 

Bruce sighed as he went back to his paperwork. “They’ll be fine. They’ll snap out of it.’

— — 

The world kept flipping around and around, but it wasn’t disorienting in the slightest. Dick’s hands slapped against the bars again and he stopped for a moment, elbows locked and arms holding his body up straight. His whole body was taut, toes pointed toward the ceiling. He held the position for a while, longer than he would’ve in a normal routine. After a while, his arms started shaking. Then his whole body. Exhaustion crept up his whole body, but still, he held himself. Behind him, he heard the door open. 

“Master Dick,” Alfred said, eyeing the clearly straining teen with slight apprehension. “I expect you to be showered before you eat dinner.”

“…ugh…uh-huh,” Dick grunted. 

“Thank you, sir.” 

Dick waited until he heard Alfred’s feet recede and then for the door to close before he swung to the ground. He did a full 360 around the bar before flipping off and doing a triple flip before he landed. Once again, the constant spinning of the world wasn’t at all disorienting. ‘Still fully oriented,’ he thought. Sweat poured down his body and fatigue pulled at his muscles. He picked up a towel Alfred had left for him, then headed for the door. ‘I can go back to it after dinner. I just…need to keep moving.’ Under the lethargy he could feel his muscles calling out to him, shouting at him to move. To just move and not have to think. He dragged the towel down his face as he walked down the hall to his room. Due to his vision being blocked, he didn’t see someone standing in the hall. Dick ran straight into a chest and took a step back. He looked up and saw Roy standing there. 

The two of them stood there for a moment. Dick looked down and shuffled around his brother without a word. Just the sight of Roy made his chest tight and his stomach churn. He bit his lip as he made his escape into his room so he could shower. As fast as he could, Dick got the water running, then he tore his clothes off his sweaty body. He hopped into the warm shower, then turned the water up all the way. Scorching hot water poured over his body. At first, it stung, but Dick forced himself to stay under the spray. He stood under the heat for a few minutes, trying to get his muscles to relax. His breathing kept getting more and more erratic, despite the heavy air around him. Dick slammed his fist into the wall as he let out a sob. Legs shaking, he lowered himself to his knees. He started sobbing and put his head in his hands. 

Images of Roy’s dead body kept flashing before his eyes. Dick shook his head and grabbed at his hair. ‘Dead. Dead, dead, dead, dead! My brother was dead and it was all my fault!’ He had a sudden urge to start banging his head off the bottom of the tub. ‘I killed my own brother! Who does that?!’ The guilt consumed him. It held all of Dick's focus. Eventually, he had to pull himself out of the fetal position and washed, himself. The water had cooled down by the time he finished washing. With his muscles now relaxed and his heart rate calming down from his all-day work-out, a hollow feeling had settled in his chest. The thought that Roy would be downstairs when Dick went to dinner didn’t make him move any faster. 

‘Just don’t look at him,’ he told himself when he finished getting dressed and left his bedroom. ‘Don’t look at him, don’t say anything just….just don’t. Looking at him will only remind you what happened.’ 

Was that the best option though? He couldn’t just go the rest of his life without looking at his big brother. 

‘You lied to him! He died because of you! What kind of hero gets their own family killed!’ The thought made him put a hand to his chest. Screams and wires snapping filled his ears and Dick slammed his hands over them. This didn’t stop them though as the sounds continued to get louder and louder. Screaming and thuds and cracks and snap! The first wire. Snap! The second wire! Screaming. Thud! Thud! Thud! 

Dick’s back hit the wall with the next thud. Fear crept up his body and tightened around his chest. His whole body went numb when the next thud! came. Nausea and shock kept his body locked in place. There was too much happening. People were screaming and shouting and he couldn’t move! Couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think! The sounds just kept echoing his ears. People kept shouting. Through the cacophony and chaos, he heard someone shouting his name. 

“Dick! Dick are you ok?!” the voice shouted. It sounded familiar. “Dick, Dick look at me!” His eyes slid from the far wall on the other side of the hall to another pair of eyes. A pair of worried blue eyes that stared back. The sight of them should’ve made him feel happy, safe, but it didn’t. It only sent a spike of grief and shock through him. “Dick, Dick listen to me. I need you to breathe. You have to breathe.” Someone touched him now. Strong hands settled on his bare arms. The calloused fingertips on one hand and the waxy skin on his other hand replaced the feeling the trapeze stand under him. Dick was aware of the wall behind him and the carpet under him. He looked down at the hands, then back at the eyes. “Come on, Dick. You have to breathe with me. Come on, in…in….” Dick obeyed, still focusing on the hands on his arms. They grounded, forcing him down into the hall instead of up on the trapeze. “Out…in….out…” Dick breathed. As he did, the screaming and snapping and thudding got quieter; or at least took a back seat to everything else. 

He became aware of his surroundings step-by-step. He was in the Manor, in the hall. Continuing to breathe, he saw Roy crouched in front of him, his older brother’s face creased in worry. Dick’s breathing evened out and the sounds finally disappeared. He still felt the echoes and twisted the sinews of his heart and scattered his brain, but at least he couldn’t hear them anymore. 

“Are you ok?” Roy asked in a gentle tone. 

As grateful as he was to his brother for pulling him out of the flashback, Dick could only nod. Just the thought of talking was impossible. His vocal cords were immobilized by guilt and fear. Guilt of what he’d done and fear of how Roy would react if he knew the truth. So, instead of talking, Dick shoved Roy away and bolted from the wall. He didn’t run, running was what the guilty did, but he kept his head down as he made a speedy bee-line for the dining room. ‘I can’t talk to him,’ Dick thought, Roy’s hurt and worried gaze cutting through him even with his back turned. ‘I can’t talk to him. He…he’d never, forgive me. If I talk I don’t know if I could avoid telling him. And he can’t know. He can’t.’ 

Back at the other end of the hall, Roy watched in helpless confusion as Dick turned and disappeared down the stairs. He sat in the hall for a few moments, confused and hurt. The sound of his younger brother having a panic attack had drawn him from his room and immediately to Dick’s aid. Thankfully, it hadn’t taken a lot to get Dick out of it, but he hadn’t expected the teen to push him away and bolt like that. ‘I should’ve expected it though,’ he thought. ‘Why would he want to be around me after I abandoned him? After I chose Kal over him.’ Contempt for his own misguided values caused shame to wash over him. ‘Guess I have to go down to dinner…’ He wasn’t hungry, whatever was in the water bottles had given him sufficient nutrients to keep him from starving. Roy stood, then wandered his way down to the living room. 

Neither Dick or Roy made any moves to talk to each other, or even look at each other for the entirety of dinner. Bruce sat down, glancing between them. ‘Should I….say something or….’ He looked at Alfred for help, but Alfred served them their food. A clear sign he wanted Bruce to figure this one out on his own. The silence prevailed all the way through dinner with Bruce not knowing what to say, and Dick and Roy not wanting to talk. The silence was strained, but no one did anything about it. As soon as Dick finished eating he put his plate in the kitchen and went upstairs. 

Once he was in his room he shut the door, then locked it. Being alone in his room made him feel more relaxed. His muscles jumped under his skin, so he pulled his sweater off and picked up the stuff on the ground. Mostly books, papers, pens, and clothes. He dumped the stuff onto his bed, then threw himself into a handstand in the now clear space. Face pulled in concentration, Dick held himself in this position, toes pointed to the ceiling, for as long as he humanly could. It took time for him to get fatigued, but once he did his muscles started shaking. ‘Good, I want them to shake,’ he thought. ‘I want everything to shake.’ After nearly an hour, he fell out of his handstand, back hitting the carpeted floor. Not feeling strong enough to get up, Dick laid on his floor, staring up at the ceiling. When he turned his head to the side, he could see the Flying Graysons poster on his wall. 

‘Everything sucks,’ he thought. ‘Everything just…it all sucks…’ His eyelids fluttered and, not having the energy to get up, he curled up on his side and fell asleep. 

— — 

The circus looked exactly the same as the last time Dick had performed. The exact same. He stood on the trapeze platform in his red and yellow costume. He watched his parents, uncle, and aunt all flipping and jumping from bar to bar. They threw and caught each other with practiced ease. He glanced up at the wire, a sense of foreboding in his heart. ‘The wires…’ he thought worriedly. ‘I-I have to warn them! I have to-‘ He stopped when he realized there were only four people performing. ‘There should be five… Where’s John?’ Someone put their hand on his shoulder and he looked up and expected to see his cousin. Instead, he saw Roy. He older brother wore the same costume as Dick and gave him a broad, trusting smile. 

“It’s safe, right, Dick?” Roy asked. “I have no reason to worry. You’d tell me if I did, right?”

Even though he knew the wires would fail, even though he knew performing, would only end in tragedy, some force caused Dick’s head to nod. He nodded and Roy gave him one more smile. A trapeze bar flew up to their platform and Roy grabbed it with both hands. Without another word, he jumped from the platform and flew out toward the center of the ring. Dick wanted to shout to them. He wanted to yell and tell them to come back or to at least to get to another platform. As soon as he opened his mouth though, it happened. The snapping of the first wire deafened him. He looked up in horror, then looked back at his performing family. But there was only one person there. The red hair gave away it was Roy. 

Dick looked down and saw the rest of his family, his parents, aunt, uncle, and even his cousin, laying on the ground in puddles of blood. Nausea rocked his body and he looked back at Roy. Somehow, even with one of the wires snapped, his brother still performed. Roy swung on his trapeze bar, oblivious to the carnage below him. Thankfully, he faced Dick now and close enough to hear him. “Roy-“ whatever Dick wanted to say next drowned out by the next wire snapping. Dick fell to his knees and scrambled at the edge of the platform as his brother fell. 

“Roy!” Dick shouted. He looked around and frowned when he realized he was no longer on the floor and now in his bed. Without taking too much time to think about it, he scrambled out of bed and ran to his bedroom door. He yanked it open, then spun so he could race to Roy’s bedroom. He made it there and had his hand on the nob before his brain caught up with him. Once it did, he paused. Seeking Roy’s comfort after a nightmare was normal. Had been normal for over three years. But now…now Dick wasn’t sure. Just thinking about Roy, thinking about the nightmare. made his chest constrict. With great reluctance, he let go of the door nob, then stepped back. He stood there and stared in silence at the closed door for close to 15 minutes. Eventually, he shuffled back to his own bedroom. After he closed the door behind him, Dick felt a sharp pang of loneliness in his chest. 

‘When was the last time I felt this lonely?’ he wondered. ‘…Right after they- Yeah, before I was close to Bruce.’ Even then though, Bruce was a difficult person to get close to and to know. He was made of masks under masks under masks. Too many masks and emotional walls for a grieving 8-year-old to understand, let alone breakdown. ‘Not that Bruce is bad, he’s not. He’s just…not in touch enough with his emotions. Or aware of them.’ Then there was Roy. Dick cringed as he slid down to the ground with his back against the door. His stomach churned as his brother’s dead body flashed through his mind. ‘I killed him!’ Dick grabbed buried his face in his knees and grabbed his hair. ‘I killed him!’ The desire to have his brother’s arms around him burned through him. A safety net to catch his fears and sadness. Tears pricked at his eyes. Roy would never want to be his brother if he found out the truth. 

‘He’d hate me!’ Dick let out a sob. ‘He’d never trust me again.’ The teen curled up into a ball and cried. ‘No one will. I betrayed my friends. Completed my mission at the cost of everything that mattered.’ The fear of being alone squeezed his chest. ‘I don’t want to be alone. Not again.’ 

— — 

The sight of Oliver dangling over the side of a building was enough to make Roy simultaneously freeze and want to run in the other direction. Being on top of a building meant if he ran, he couldn’t be going anywhere. Creeping closer, he saw the billionaire hanging on to the edge with his fingers. 

“Roy!” Oliver yelled, a hint of desperation in his voice. “Help me!”

“Uh…” Roy hung back, his brain fumbling. On the one hand, going anywhere near Oliver terrified him; but on the other hand not helping him meant he’d die. 

‘And that would be a bad thing?!’ a voice in his head snapped. ‘This is Oliver! Abusive, manipulative, cruel Oliver! Don’t help him!’

‘But…I’m a hero. I have to help people. Everyone. That’s what Batman does. It’s what the Justice League does.’

“Roy!” Oliver shouted again. “Help me!”

Roy stepped one foot forward, but the hesitancy in his brain prevented him from getting any closer. ‘I-I don’t know what to do!’ 

“Roy-” A spasm went through Oliver’s fingers and he fell—

Roy jerked awake with a gasp, then bolted out of his bed. His eyes searched his room desperately as he hyperventilated. ‘I’m… It was a dream…’ he thought, wrapping his arms around his body. ‘Breathe…breathe…’ He tried to calm himself down, so he hurried to turn on the light. “Third nightmare tonight,” he muttered. “Not going back to sleep.” He put his hand to his chest as his heart still tried to palpitate out of his chest. “I…I’m gonna mediate. I need to calm down…” Roy took a deep breath, then sat down on the floor and crossed his legs. Inhale. Exhale. ‘I’m safe.’ Inhale. Exhale. ‘I’m safe…’

Roy meditated until the sun rose. He didn’t snap out of it until he heard the click of his door opening.

Bruce looked as surprised as he walked into the room. “You’re awake,” he said in surprise. “How long have you been awake?”

“Uh… A few hours.”

“A few hours?” Bruce’s brow furrowed as he took another step inside the room. “How long did you sleep last night?”

“I don’t know… Three hours?”

“Three?”

“I-I had three nightmares. It was…kind of hard to sleep.”

After a moment of hesitation, Bruce sat down on the floor in front of Roy. “So the nightmares, they’re not getting better?”

“No. I’ve had them every single night since the night we got home from the….simulation. I had three last just this night alone. ”

“…Roy… I thought that maybe you need to go back on the Prazosin.”

“No, I hated taking that.” Roy could still clearly remember when Dinah had prescribed it for him. He’d taken it for nearly two years and hadn’t liked it. “I hate the side effects.”

“I know, but they helped with your night terrors a lot. And Dinah’s condition for you coming off of it was that your nightmares stay below mild. Right now they’re well above mild, possibly severe at this point. You need it, Roy.”

“…I don’t want to take it.”

Bruce sighed. “Please? Can you just…consider it? You need the sleep and there’s no telling how long this increase in nightmares will last.”

Roy was quiet for a minute. “I’ll think about it. I want to ask Dinah her opinion first.”

“Fair enough.” Part of Bruce wanted to feel at least a small victory over this. Fixing Roy’s nightmares would be a great first step for them, but it was only a first step. There was still his lack of eating. The hiding in his room. Avoiding Dick. Avoiding everyone. That didn’t even begin to tackle Dick’s problems right now. Bruce may have been the Dark Knight of Gotham, but right now he felt out of his depth. ‘One step at a time,’ he thought as he stood; revitalizing his old mantra from when the boys had each first started living with him. ‘One step at a time. I wish they didn’t have me out-numbered.’ He hesitated by the door again. “Try to eat something today, ok?”

“I’m not hungry…”

“Can you try?”

“…I guess…”

“Ok. Just try.” At this point, Bruce didn’t even care what Roy ate, as long as he ate something. He couldn’t be living off of protein shakes for much longer. Wanting to feel at least useful, Bruce stopped by Dick’s room too. When he opened the door he discovered his younger ward was already gone. ‘In the gym no doubt.’ The lack of improvement from either of them made him feel bad about going back to work, but he also knew he couldn’t avoid it. With Dick out of school, it would look too suspicious if Bruce missed work. Not to mention he had a lot of stuff to do after not being there for two days. Hence his going in early. ’They’ll be alright,’ he reasoned with himself as he went downstairs. ‘They’ll be ok.’

— — 

As much as Bruce kept trying to reassure himself that everything would be ok, he could tell by the look on Alfred’s face when he got home it wasn’t. “What happened?” Bruce asked, dreading the answer. 

“Master Roy had a panic attack three times today,” Alfred answered. 

“Damn…where is he?”

“Getting some fresh air.”

“Did he eat?”

“No, sir.”

“What about Dick?”

“Master Dick has been in the gym all day. He only came out to eat and still hasn’t spoken to anyone.”

Bruce rubbed his face. “Oh geez… What should I do?”

“I daresay the answer may be obvious, Master Bruce.” Alfred followed him into his study and shut the door so they wouldn’t be overheard. “Whatever happened in that simulation isn't sitting well with them psychologically. Considering Master Roy's, post-traumatic stress, his severe reaction isn't surprising. They need someone to talk to about this.”

“If one of them wanted to talk to me, they would. But they’re both avoiding me.”

“I have noticed that, sir. Perhaps they would feel more comfortable talking to someone more…confidential.”

“I think you’re right. I’ll talk to Tornado, Flash, Aquaman, and Canary tomorrow. See if the other members of the Team are…struggling as well.”

“That would be wise.” 

Bruce sighed and put his head in his hands. “This is such a mess. How could we have messed up this badly?”

“This is not all your fault, sir. You could not have known hat would happen and you didn’t anticipate resolving the problem would be so arduous.”

“Still…I should’ve known. I should’ve done more to protect them.”

“You did what you could, sir. No superhero can force everything.”

“I just hope the rest of the League sees it that way.”

— — 

When he walked into the meeting the following night, Batman was immediately certain his teammates without proteges didn’t see it that way. Wonder Woman gave him a look he hadn’t seen since Arsenal had hit the streets of Gotham and Superman shook his head at him. 

‘So it’s going to be one of those meetings…’ Batman thought as he sat. ‘Joy.’ Thankfully this wasn’t a meeting with the whole League, just the founding members (with Black Canary and Red Tornado), so he wouldn’t have to worry about explaining the situation to the entire Justice League. Flash and Green Lantern were the last two to arrive, the former slower than normal. There was a moment of tense silence once everyone was seated. 

“…So, I’m guessing the rest of you heard about what happened,” Batman said eventually. 

“Bits and pieces,” Wonder Woman replied. “We want the full story. Now.” Not wasting any time, Batman launched into an explanation of what had happened during the training exercise. 

“I want to know why Flash and I weren’t informed of this training simulation,” Aquaman said when Batman finished. Flash nodded in agreement. 

“We do training exercise with the Team all the time,” Red Tornado explained. “We did not think this one required approval.”

“Yeah, well next time you decide to go poking around my nephew’s psyche, I want to be asked first,” Flash replied. 

“Yes,” Superman agreed. “No more psychic simulations without mentor approval.”

“How has the Team been?” Black Canary asked. 

“Artemis has been to the Cave, but she does not talk to Superboy or Miss Martian,” Red Tornado reported. “None of them speak to each other.”

“Kaldur is…quieter than normal,” Aquaman said. “He hasn’t been eating. I suggested he visit his mother for a few days and she wasn’t pleased with me because of how different his behavior is.”

“Kid’s been…ok?” Flash told them in a questioning tone. “He was quiet, the first day but then he bounced back.” He snapped his fingers. “Just like that.”

Black Canary looked at Batman. “Batman?” she asked when he didn’t say anything after several minutes. “How are Robin and Arsenal?”

“Struggling…” Batman replied. Despite his worry for his proteges, he couldn’t control the urge to keep details of what went on in Gotham private. 

“I thought as much. I’d like to meet with each member of the Team individually. See if talking through what append will help any of them.”

“I”m open to anything,” Aquaman replied. “Kaldur insists he is fine, but I don’t believe him.”

“Perhaps when they all see each other again, it’ll make a difference,” Martian Manhunter suggested. 

“Maybe. We can try.”

“Try is not good enough,” Wonder Woman said. “We are supposed to help and protect these children, not traumatizing them further.”

“We will be sure this won’t happen again,” Batman told her. 

“It better not.”

— — 

While Bruce was at the League meeting, Roy sat in his room, staring at his IM device. He bit his finger as he stared at it. The IM device sat on the blankets in front of him. ‘Should I message him?’ He hadn’t spoken to him since… Roy frowned. ‘Well I talked to him in the simulation, but I’m not sure that counts. Not since our fight, I guess.’ 

Roy’s hand flicked to his chest as he thought back to the simulation. He could remember his and Kaldur’s last moments with ease. The unidentifiable feeling that had filled him in those last moments lingered in his chest; flaring up whenever he thought about his best friend. ‘…In fact…it’s kind of been there for a while. It…never goes away.’ Part of Roy wanted to just dismiss this as his feelings of friendship, but it didn’t feel like that. 

This feeling was…different than what he felt for his other friends. Different than his feelings for M’gann, Wally, Conner, and even Artemis. And definitely different than his feelings for Dick; or even Jake and Logan. It was something…he didn’t know how to describe. Something he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt for someone. ‘It’s kind of like Sophie Davis in-‘ The thought made Roy stop with the IM device held in one hand. ‘…Kind of like Sophie Davis in second grade.’ He blinked. ‘Like Sophie Davis…’

Like many things from his life on the reservation, Roy had forgotten all about the beautiful girl who’d sat next to him in his second-grade classroom. ‘I remember now. I shared my milk with her.’ The thought brought a smile to his face. It had been Brave Bow’s suggestion. ‘But….this isn’t like that. Kal is a guy first of all. I can’t…feel that way about a guy, right? That’s crazy.’ And yet it didn’t feel that crazy. His second grade crush had felt just like this, only this was stronger. There was just a more personal connection with Kaldur. The fluttery feeling in his chest flared up at the thought of the Atlantean. ‘I mean…Kal's handsome and he does give me that pleasant but kind of weird feelings Cheshire did and Bruce said that was…sexual.’ 

Roy’s eyes widened. ‘Oh….I have feelings for Kaldur.’ It was kind of scary and also kind of exciting. ‘But, what if he doesn’t….feel that way too?’ The sudden thought brought down his slight joy from the realization. ‘I mean…I’m such a mess and Kal he’s so amazing. But I have to tell him. I can’t just…not tell him. Even if he doesn’t feel the same, I should do it. Be honest with him. I have to be honest with him.’


	29. Disordered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of updates. I was really busy with school and didn't have any free time. Thankfully I'm on break right now so I'm good to update again. Enjoy!

A few days later, the entire Team sat in the living room/kitchen area of Mount Justice. Robin, whose head had been down the whole time to prevent him from seeing Arsenal, sat on the couch. Arsenal sat on the other end and looked a longing gesture at Kaldur as he did, then glanced away. Three nights of little sleep due to nightmares had whittled down his enthusiasm for talking to his friend. Arsenal watched everyone else in silence. Kaldur sat with his back to Arsenal while Megan mixed something in a bowl in the kitchen. Wally slouched in a chair with his head in his hands and Artemis leaned against the wall beside him. No one said a word. Megan mixed her dough; the only sound in the room. 

Back in the main cavern, Batman walked out of the zeta tube to join Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel, and Red Tornado, who watched the Team on several holo-screens. “How are they?” Batman asked, concerned by the rest of the team's behavior and it's similarities to his boys'. 

“I am still shaken by what we wrought,” Martian Manhunter replied. “I can only imagine how these youths must feel.”

“I know our virtual reality training simulation went…badly.” And it would never happen again, lest he, get caught on the wrong side of Wonder Woman’s lasso. “But I’d hoped the Team would’ve rallied by now.” Despite his own admission of how bad things were for Arsenal and Robin, part of him wanted to believe whatever it was could be fixed simply by being with their friends. 

Clearly, Martian Manhunter didn’t agree with him if judged by the look on his face. “Trauma tends to linger, as I’m sure you know, my friend.”

“Good thing we have Black Canary.”

“She has her work cut out for her.” 

‘She can handle it,’ Batman thought, his cowl hiding the worried expression on his face as he stared at the screens. ‘She’s been dealing with Roy’s…multiple horrible traumas for a couple of years. If anyone can get through to them, it’ll be her.’

— — 

Black Canary walked into the living room and survey the team for a moment. She cleared her throat to get their attention. “We have decided it would beneficial for all of you to…talk about what happened in the simulation with me.”

“Why you?” Artemis asked the first one of them to speak in an hour. 

“I’m a licensed therapist.”

“Do we have a choice?” 

“No. Who wants to go first?” No one jumped at the invitation. "We can do this fast or slow. Your choice." 

“Fine, I will,” Superboy grumbled as he walked over to her. “Let’s get this over with fast.” 

‘Therapy’s not all that bad,’ Arsenal thought. ‘I just don’t want to go first…’ He pulled his arms tighter around his body. 

The silence in the room persisted until, eventually, Black Canary came back again a while later. “Who’s next in line?” she asked. 

“Guess I will,” Artemis muttered. She pushed away from the wall and followed Black Canary out of the room. Arsenal tried not to look at her as she left. He couldn’t stop thinking about seeing her “die” and the grief that had nearly overtaken his brain when it happened. 

‘Which is crazy,’ he thought. ‘Because I don’t even like Artemis. Ok, maybe I do. She’s not a bad archer. And she’s got a lot of spirit. She’s not horrible… I don’t know.’ He wished people were easier to understand. It was hard to have this constant ball of emotions in his chest. He sat back and watched the others for a while. Kaldur still had his back to him and Wally shifted every once in a while. Robin still wouldn’t even look at him. And Megan focused on her cookies. ‘At least, I think they’re cookies. Whatever she’s making, I’m sure it is. What she makes usually is. I think so at least.’ 

When Black Canary returned again Artemis wasn’t with her. Before she could say anything, Kaldur moved from his place and walked over to her. Without saying a word, Black Canary smiled at him and lead him out of the room. 

‘Wonder where Artemis went,’ Arsenal thought, slouching down in his seat. ‘And Conner for that matter.’ A sudden movement from the corner of his eye caused him and Robin to jump, his brother going to the utility belt hidden under his sweater and Arsenal’s hand automatically curled up to activate his hidden bow. It was just Wally though. The speedster ran into the kitchen. Megan jumped back as he reached into a cabinet to pull down a bag of microwave popcorn. ‘Guess speedsters stomach don’t respond to trauma like the rest of us.’ Or maybe that was just his. Once Wally had put the popcorn in the microwave Robin went back to looking at the floor and he relaxed. From his spot in the living room, Arsenal could smell the popcorn. As much as he knew it should make him hungry since he’d lost a couple of pounds from not eating for the last week, it made him nauseous. Wanting to escape the smell, Arsenal got up and left the room. He wandered until he found an empty hall and sat down on the ground. ‘This sucks,’ he thought as he pulled his legs up to his chest. 

The sound of footsteps approaching caught his attention right away, but he decided not to acknowledge however it was. Which is why he was surprised when the person stopped, stood next to him for a moment, then sat down beside him. 

“Why did you come here?” Kaldur asked him in a quiet voice. 

“…Wally’s popcorn,” Arsenal replied, his voice soft. “The smell made me want to vomit.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Ever since…the exercise my stomach hasn’t exactly been accepting of food.”

“Oh?” Kaldur frowned and his brow furrowed in worry. “You haven’t been eating?”

“I haven’t eaten a full meal since that day.” There was silence, then Kaldur got up and left him. ‘What was that?’

‘Your problems finally drove him away,’ a voice in his head berated. ‘Good job, freak.’

‘No! Kal, he wouldn’t think I’m a freak. Besides, he’s seen my reactions to trauma that are way more intense. I don’t think not eating would scare him.’ It still strange that he’d just up and left like that though. Luckily he returned after only a minute, carrying a bowl. Roy frowned in confusion as Kaldur returned and sat down so he could place the bowl between them. The bowl was filled to the brim with grapes. “Why the grapes?”

“So you can eat.”

“I’m not hungry, Kal.”

“Well…I will eat and I would like it if you ate with me. It would be awkward otherwise.”

“Kal-“

“Just one? Please?” Roy made the mistake of looking at Kaldur and felt some of his resolve melt at the innocent, pleading look on his face. Kaldur’s concern for Roy was written clearly all over his face. 

“Alright. One.” Roy picked a grape off the top of the bowl and put it in his mouth. He ate it then looked at Kaldur. His friend simply ate one as well. The two of them sat in silence for a minute. 

“Can you eat another one?”

“You said one.”

“Please?” 

Arsenal sighed. ‘I can’t say no when he asks like that.’ He took another grape and ate it. Kaldur followed his lead. “How’ve you been?”

“Better than you I am sure. You do not look like you have slept in many days.”

“Accurate observation. We’re talking about you though.”

“You struggling-“

“I’m always struggling. Have been for the last three or four years. That’s old hat. How’ve you been?”

“…I am unsure. I have had trouble sleep and eating myself.” 

“Oh yeah?” Arsenal held up the bowl. “Your turn then. Eat a grape.”

“I am certain I have eaten more than you have in the past week.”

“Doesn’t matter, eat a grape.”

“Fine.” Kaldur ate a grape, then gave Arsenal a look. Arsenal ate one as well, then set down the bowl. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“….Why did you say behind with me? You should have gone on ahead with the others.”

Arsenal didn’t need to ask what he meant. He swallowed and looked down at his knees. “I couldn’t leave you, Kal.”

“Why though?”

“You’re my best friend! The person who I feel closest to besides my brother. You’re….funny, and witty, and you make me feel safe and you’re understanding. You’re a total badass in battle and you’re so confident. You’re…you’re amazing. You are. I-“ Arsenal faltered, realizing where the train of thought taking him. Anxiety flared up inside him and he could feel the words on the tip of his tongue. Looking into his friend’s eyes though, Arsenal realized he couldn’t hold back. It felt like he needed to tell Kaldur the truth before his heart burst from his chest. “I-I like you, Kal. And…not just…as a friend. I have…a crush on you.” 

Kaldur’s eyes widened. “You- You do?”

“I do.” Kaldur just stared at him. “Please say something…” There was another fun minute of staring before Kaldur burst out laughing. The sound, while a wonderful sound caused Arsenal anxiety. “What- What’s so funny?”

“You- You do not understand how long I have waited for you to tell me that!” Kaldur took a breath but kept laughing. 

“But why is it funny?”

“…Do not worry, my friend. It is not important.” He sobered up and looked at Arsenal with a not-quite-a-smile on his face. “But, you mean that?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I have been dreaming of hearing you say that for months.”

“Months?! Why- Why did you never say anything?”

“…I was afraid…” Not a lie, he had been terrified of Batman. 

“So…we both…have feelings for each other?”

“It looks that way.”

“Ok, cool. So…what now?”

“I am not sure about the surface, but back home I would ask you to go out with me.”

“I think that’s how it's done on the surface.”

“What is considered a date on the surface?”

“I- I don’t know. I’ve never…you know….”

“Hm… Well, I will put some thought into it and come up with a great first date.” 

“Ok. That sounds good.” For the first time in a week, Arsenal felt levity and he ate two grapes. 

— — 

“Hurt?” Robin repeated after Black Canary’s question, in disbelief. “Try traumatized. I finally become the leader and wind up sending all of my friends, and my brother, to their deaths. I-I know I did what I had to do. But I hated it. When we started this team I was desperate to be in charge. Not anymore. And-and that’s not even the worst of it. …Y-You can’t tell Batman.”

“Nothing leaves this room,” Black Canary promised him. 

“I always wanted- expected, to-to grow up and-and become him. And the hero bit? I’m still all in. But that thing, inside of him, the- the thing that drives him to sacrifice everyone and everything for the sake of his mission….that’s not me. I-I don’t want to be…the Batman, anymore.”

“Robin- Dick.” Robin’s head shot up and Black Canary gave him a reassuring look. “This room is comely secure. It’s the room where I do Roy’s therapy. Not wanting to be Batman isn’t a bad thing.”

“But…he expects me to, isn’t that why he trained me?”

“Whether he wants your or not, vigilante work has always been your choice, right?”

“Yes.”

“I know your desire to do good and help people goes beyond whatever reasons Batman may have had for you. That's what drives you, Robin. Nothing else. And it’s not something that Batman, or I, nor anyone else can take away from you.”

“…Thanks.” He didn’t want to admit it, but Black Canary’s fight in him did make him feel better. 

“Can I ask you something else?”

“Go for it, I guess.”

“You mentioned that one of the people you sent to their deaths was Roy.” She saw the teen flinch behind his sunglasses. “How does that make you feel?”

“How does it make me feel?! Roy died because of what I did! He died because of me!”

“I thought he chose to stay with Kaldur?”

“He did it because I- I lied. I lied when Wally asked if I thought the beams could be transporting people somewhere instead of killing them. I lied and said yes. Roy heard that and…what if that’s why he stayed?! What if he thought it was because his brother told him he wouldn’t die?!”

“I don’t believe the reason he chose to stay is only because of what you said. That just doesn’t sound like Roy. Have you told him yet? That you lied?”

“No! I-I can’t! You know how he is. He hates when people lie to him. It's even worse when it's people he trusts. If he knows I lied…it would crush him. He’d never trust me again! He’d hate me!”

“While I understand that Roy might not react well to the news, Dick, you need to consider the alternative. What happens if he finds out you lied from someone else? Do you think that will make it better?”

“…No. It would be worse.”

“You can’t make things better by avoiding him, Dick. You need to tell him the truth yourself.”

“…You’re right. I just…don't know how.”

“Just tell him what happened. You never know, he might surprise you.”

“…Maybe.” But he doubted it. 

“Anything else you’d like to discuss?”

“No. That’s fine.”

“Ok. If you change your mind, you know where to find me, or your brother. I’m sure he’s always willing to listen.”

“I- ok.”

“Speaking of Roy, can you tell him I’d like to talk to him now?”

“Yeah, sure.” Robin got up and left the room, feeling better than when he’d entered it. It’d felt good to finally get everything off his chest, even if only half of his worries were appeased. ‘Tell Roy?’ he thought as he walked. ‘How can I do that? He’d never forgive me! She’s right though. If I don’t tell him and he finds out from someone else it’ll just…make everything so much worse. I- I guess I have no choice but to tell him then.’ He turned a corner and stopped. Arsenal and Kaldur sat in the hall. From a distance, Robin could see the bowl of grapes they ate and how intimate their conversation seemed. Robin hesitated for a second before approaching them. Arsenal’s head looked toward him when he was halfway to them. ‘He must’ve heard me coming.’ He stooped when he reached them. “Black Canary wants to talk to you next, Arsenal.”

“Ok,” Arsenal replied. “Thanks.” 

Robin nodded in reply, then turned away. ‘I need to…keep my distance for now. When we get home I’ll tell him.’

Meanwhile, Arsenal watched his younger brother go with worry and guilt. Kaldur noticed the guilt and squeezed his hand. He expected some kind of a response, but the archer merely shook his head. ‘I shouldn’t be happy,’ Arsenal thought as he stood. ‘I shouldn’t be. I betrayed my brother, how can I be happy?’ But he wanted to be happy. Despite the crushing guilt, part of him felt tired from the constant negative emotions. He wanted the positive feelings to have some control over his brain again. These conflicting feelings plagued him as he walked into the room. It felt like muscle memory to go into the room and sit across from Dinah. He took off his sunglasses. 

“Hi, Roy,” she said.

“Hi.”

“Where do you want to start?”

Roy looked at his hands. “I don’t know. The whole…simulation…it all feels… I just don’t know.”

“How have you been this week? You look tired.”

“The nightmares are back. I’ve been having two or three a night.” A look of sympathy passed over Dinah’s face. “I can’t eat. I’ve had a couple of panic attacks. So…it hasn’t been going well.”

“I can tell. Why do you think it’s been so bad?”

“…I-I betrayed my brother.” 

‘…Bruce has to teach these boys to talk to each other.’ Dinah had to bury her slight anger towards Bruce for the moment though. “Why do you think that?”

“I- I chose Kal over him! I could’ve gone with Dick, but I didn’t! I died and left him alone!”

“Roy, breathe. Keep breathe. Good. Now, why is it bad you chose to stay with Kaldur?”

“Because…Dick’s my brother. I- I left them alone. I know what it’s like to be alone and I-I did that to him….”

Dinah gave him a sympathetic look. “Why did you choose to stay behind with Kaldur?”

“…I just couldn’t let him die alone. I- I just couldn’t. I know- I know what it’s like to think you’ll die alone and I couldn’t let him go through that.”

“From what I’m hearing, it sounds like you were in a no-win situation.”

“I- I guess so.”

“Which was the point of this exercise, wasn’t it? To see how you all would react when put in an un-winnable situation?”

“Yeah, but… I abandoned my brother.”

“Dying and abandonment aren't the same, Roy. You made the decision to stand with your teammate, knowing it would cost you your life. That is a heroic choice. To stand and face death is no small feat.” 

“I bet he thinks I chose Kaldur over him.”

“Have you asked Dick?”

“…No.”

“Then I think you should. Talk to him and explained why you did it.”

“You think he’ll understand?”

“He’s your brother, why wouldn’t he?”

“…I guess.”

“You’re brave enough to face death, you’re brave enough to do this.”

“…Thanks.”

“What happens in your nightmares?”

Roy stiffened. “It’s…complicated. I don’t…know how to explain it.”

“Try.” 

He knew that would come. “Ok, well… They’re kind of different each time? Except, its the same idea. I’m there and…Oliver’s there.”

“He is?”

“Mhm. And he’s like…going to get shot or he’s hanging off a building or he needs to hide from the police. So he asks me for help. And somehow, I know the if I don’t help him he’ll die.”

“So it’s not that you’re killing him, but your action could prevent his death?”

“Yeah. Exactly.”

“What do you do in these dreams? Do you act?”

“No. I’m always too confused. I never know what to do.”

Dinah could sense there was a lot more to this situation than Roy said, and if her suspicion was correct, then she wasn’t the person Roy needed to talk to about this. “Roy, if hypothetically, you were in this situation, what would you do?”

“What do you mean?”

“If Oliver was about to die and your action could save his life, what would you do?”

“I- I don’t know. What do you think I should do?”

“…I think you need to talk to Bruce about this.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s your mentor and he cares about you.” 

“…Ok.” 

“How have you been dealing with the nightmares?”

Roy sighed. ”I’ve tried writing them down and re-imagining them… Except, the ones with Ollie in them. But it hasn’t been working. Bruce thinks I need to start taking the Prazosin again.”

“Hmm. You haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a week, I think he’s right.” She watched his face fall. “I know you don’t like some of the side-effects, but do you want to keep going with only three hours of sleep a night?” 

“No…”

“And when you took it the nightmares decreased, didn’t they?”

“…Yes.”

“I think it’s a good idea that you take it then.”

“For how long?”

“Until you’re sleeping through the night, 8 hours uninterrupted, for at least 5 or 6 days a week.”

“Ok.” 

“Anything else?’

“No. It’s just been a long week.”

“I’m sure. You’ll feel better when you’ve slept and your brain has had a chance to rest.”

“I hope so. Can I go?”

“Of course. I’ll see you next week.”

“Yeah. Next week.” Roy got up, put his sunglasses on, and walked toward the door, but stopped to look back at her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

As soon as Arsenal exited the room, he ran into Artemis. The two of them stood there, staring at each other in silence for a minute. Finally, Arsenal was the one to speak. “Hey,” he said. 

“Hey,” Artemis replied, crossing her arms. “Did you just have your…talk with Black Canary?”

“Yeah. And you already had yours?”

“Yup.” She glanced down, then looked up at him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“Did you…die when I did in the exercise?”

“No, I uh… I slipped on some ice and the beam missed me.”

Artemis stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. “I- I’m sorry! But that… That’s just so stupid! You were tine day Batman and the reason you didn’t die was that you slipped on ice!” 

A snort escaped Arsenal. “I mean…when you say it like that it does sound kind of ridiculous.” It took a few tries but Artemis eventually managed to get her laughter under control. “Uh…Just so you know, I was sad when I thought you’d…died.”

“…Thanks.”

“Sure. I’m going to go find Kaldur.”

“Ok. Guess I’ll see you then.”

“Yeah.” Arsenal stepped around her, then set off to find his friend. 

— — 

Later that day, once Roy and Dick were back in the Bat Cave, Dick hung back, watching as Roy headed for the stairs. ‘I have to tell him,’ he thought as he followed his brother up the stairs. ‘I have to tell him. Even-even if he hates me. I just need to do it.’ It Roy headed for his bedroom, so Dick followed. Once they were on the floor where their rooms were, Dick swallowed. “Roy!” he called. 

Roy stopped and turned. “Yeah?” he asked. 

‘I can’t do it!’ Dick decided. ‘I-I don’t want him to hate me. I couldn’t handle it if he did.’ The emptiness and loneliness he’d felt after losing his family echoed in his chest. 

“What’s up, Dick?” Instead of saying anything, Dick bolted forward and wrapped his arms around Roy’s waist. Roy took half a step back to steady himself. “Uh…Dick?” There was no coherent reply, but he could hear Dick sobbing. “Dick, what’s wrong?”

“Please don’t hate me… Please…”

“Hate you?! Why would I hate you?”

“Be- Because I lied!”

“When?”

“In the exercise. I-I lied when I said the beams transported people. I lied to you and you died!” Dick looked up at Roy, who was just stared down at him in shock. 

“You- You lied to me? Why?”

“I- I had a plan and I just…” Dick couldn’t keep going as Roy just stared at him. “Please, don’t hate me, Roy.” 

Roy swallowed as Dick buried his face in his chest. Part of him wanted to be angry. His own brother, someone he was supposed to be able to trust without conditions, had lied to him. About life or death information. But he couldn’t. Not when Dick sobbed and clutched him like he was about to disappear. ‘He’s so sorry…’ Roy thought as he smoothed Dick’s hair. ‘He’s crying and he’s upset…’ His brother had lied, but Dick’s repentance was evident in his tears. “Dick… I didn’t die because you lied.”

“Yes, you did! I said that and you stay behind with Kaldur and died!”

“No, Dick.” Roy kept smoking his younger brother’s hair. “Dick, look at me.” Dick lifted this head. “I didn’t choose to stay because I thought I’d survive. I didn't know if I would live or not. The only thing I thought about was how I couldn’t leave Kaldur alone and we needed to stop the aliens from getting through the zeta. What you said wasn’t on my mind.”

“Are you sure?” The sobbing had stopped, and Dick stared at him with a hopeful look in his eyes. 

“Yes. I promise I don’t hate you.”

“It doesn’t bother you that I lied?”

“It does…but I’m not angry. More just…uncomfortable. And I wish you wouldn’t do it again.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

“Ok, then…I believe you.” Dick smiled, tear tracks still visible on his face, then hugged Roy even tighter. “Besides, I’m the one who should be apologizing to you.”

“Why?”

“Because I abandoned you. I chose to stay with Kaldur over you.”

“You didn’t choose Kaldur over me, you sacrificed yourself to make sure our transportation was safe. Besides, Kaldur’s important to you too. I know that.”

‘If only you knew how much,’ Roy thought. “But…you don’t think I abandoned you?”

“No. Someone dying isn’t abandonment. I was upset but I didn’t feel betrayed.” 

“Thanks, Dick.” The two of them hugged for a few moments. 

“I’m glad you don’t hate me.”

“Me too.”

“You know what this means?”

“What?”

“Black Canary was right.”

Roy chuckled. “In my experience she usually is.”

“Do you want to go play some video games or something?”

“Sure, but only until Bruce gets home. I have to talk to him too.”

“Have fun with that.” Dick grabbed Roy’s hand and pulled him down the hall. “Let’s go!”

Roy smiled as Dick led him to the game room. 

— — 

When Bruce came home, it wasn’t until after dinner. He sat at the Bat-computer when Roy came downstairs. “Need something, Roy?” Bruce asked, turning around in his chair. 

“It’s kind of creepy when you do that,” Roy admitted. 

“I know.” Bruce still wore his bat suit sans cowl. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been having these nightmares, ever since the exercise. It’s…always the same…format. I’m there and Ollie’s there…”

“Oliver?”

“Yeah. He’s…in danger and I could save him. If I don’t then he’ll die.”

“How?”

“I could shoot an arrow down a gun barrel or help him on to the roof of a building. And…if, theoretically, I were to be in this situation-“

“You wouldn’t be.”

“But hypothetically, if I did, what should I do Should I save him?”

Thankfully, Bruce was able to suppress his initial response; which was no. Under no circumstances, did Bruce think Roy should save Oliver’s life. ‘Oliver doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as Roy, much less have his life saved by him.’ But, deep down, Bruce knew that wasn’t the answer Roy wanted. Because he knew Roy. “If you are in a position to save Oliver’s life…I wouldn’t judge you for doing so.”

“You- You wouldn’t?”

“No. That decision would be yours alone and if you save him, I’d support you.”

“It wouldn’t make me crazy?”

“No, Roy. You wouldn’t be crazy.”

“Ok.” Roy’s body language was relaxed and his voice betrayed how relieved he was. Dick’s feet pounding on the steps reached his ears which ended their conversation. 

“Are we getting ready for patrol?” Dick asked. 

“…Of course,” Bruce told him, relief flooding him that the boys wanted to be patrolling again. “Go get dressed.”

“Feels like forever since we’ve been on patrol,” Roy said to Dick as they headed toward their suits. 

“I know,” Dick agreed. “Think the criminals forgot what we looked like?”

“We should give them a strong reminder then.”

“Let’s go!”


	30. Star-crossed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for another update. A lot of stuff's going down in this chapter, so let me know what you guys think!

K: Are you busy on Halloween?

R: No, why???

K: I have our first date planned. Come to the cave at 7pm on Halloween. Bring a backpack. 

R: You got it!

“What’re you smiling about?” Dick asked. 

“Nothing,” Roy replied quickly as he set his IM device aside. 

“Uh-huh. Are you talking to Kaldur?”

“Maybe…”

Dick smirked as he turned back to his homework. “About what?”

“You’re very nosey.”

“I’m a younger sibling, it's in my job description.”

Roy stuck his tongue out at Dick, knowing it was useless because his brother’s back was turned to him. “We’re…making plans for Halloween.”

“Wally’s coming over here. We’re going to binge zombie movies.”

“You guys are far too fascinated by the undead.”

“What’re you and Kaldur doing?”

“I don’t know, but…I think it'll be great.”

— — 

On Halloween night, Roy was practically bouncing as he got ready to go to Mount Justice. “What are your plans for tonight?” Bruce asked him as Roy put on his gloves and sunglasses. 

“Kaldur and I are going to hang out at Mount Justice,” Roy replied. He still didn’t know what his friend had planned for that night, but he was ecstatic for it. ‘Dick and Wally are here, everyone else is going to a dance in Happy Harbor, it’ll just be us tonight. It’ll be fun and I have my phone because Dick wants….updates.’ His brother’s behavior was honestly too perplexing for Roy.

Bruce had to resist the urge to smile (he was in his bat suit after all) at how naturally relaxed and happy Roy was. His sleeping habits had improved thanks to his medication and, consequently, his eating habits had also improved. It was a huge relief to Bruce that Roy was on the mend after the exercise. “Have fun then.”

“I will.” Roy put his sunglasses on and practically ran to his bike. He drove out of the cave, stomach flipping. ‘I can’t wait to see what he has planned!’ Once his bike was hidden, he stepped through the zeta tube. 

“Arsenal, B04,” the tube announced. 

Kaldur was waiting for Roy as he exited the zeta tube. “Hello,” he smiled, looking far more excited than Roy and ever seen him. 

“Hey,” Roy replied, smiling himself. For a few seconds, the two of them stood there, staring at each other awkwardly. “So…what do you have planned?” 

“Come with me.” Kaldur took Roy’s hand. The two hurried to Kaldur’s room, where he quickly shut the door, despite the mountain currently being empty. 

Roy looked around, the room looked pretty much the same, except for two outfits lead out on Kaldur’s bed. Frowning a little, Roy walked closer. “Ninjas?”

“Our costumes.” Kaldur joined Roy in front of his bed where there were two ninja costumes, one with a red and black color scheme and the other with a blue and black cool scheme, were laid out. “I tried to pick something that would cover our faces well.”

“…Why do we need to cover our faces?”

“Because we are going out.” Roy’s head snapped in his direction. “To a dance.”

“A….dance?”

“Yes. There is a Halloween dance tonight at Gotham East High School. We are sneaking in.”

Roy stared at him with his mouth open a little bit. “Are you serious?”

“Very.”

“Kal…we-we can’t. Batman would never let me go.”

“Then we shall not inform him.”

“Not…. Kal, I can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because…” Roy’s brain stalled. It was a good question. ‘I’ll get in trouble but…I’ve done things I’m not supposed to a lot this year and Bruce has never hurt me or threatened to throw me out. I broke into Cadmus, went off to find Red Tornado with the Team, and I’ve walked around without my sunglasses. He never even found out about that last thing.’ 

“Roy, I promise, I will not allow anything to happen. And we have gone out before and no one recognizes you. We will be perfectly safe.”

“…..Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Yes. Let’s go to the dance.”

Kaldur smiled widely. “Let us get ready then. You can select whichever one you’d like.”

“The red one.” Roy picked up his costume. 

“Good choice.” Kaldur picked up the blue one and quickly unzipped the backpack. “We will not put them on until we are there. That way if we are seen on the cameras, no one will know where we are going.”

“Right.” Roy shoved the pieces of his costume in as well, then zipped the bag closed. 

“Are you ready?”

“Ready.”

“Let us go.”

— — 

How Kaldur knew his way around Gotham so well was honestly a mystery to Roy. The two of them were on Roy’s bike, Kaldur talking directly into Roy’s ear to give him directions. Whether it was the anxiety over getting caught or excitement at how tight Kaldur was currently holding him. Eventually, Roy was directed to park his bike in a dark alley. 

“The high school is a few blocks from here,” Kaldur told him as Roy activated the cloaking mechanism on his bike. Right before he did that though, he deactivated the tracker on it. That way Bruce wouldn’t be able to find him. 

“Let’s go.” They walked down the street, one of Kaldur’s hands holding Roy’s, the other holding two plastic swords. They were soon in sight of the school, Roy smiling a little in anticipation. Moving quickly, Kaldur led him to a side door and knocked on it three times. 

“Wha-“ Before Roy could finish his question, the door opened and Logan and Jake were standing on the other side. Both teens wore pirate costumes, complete with an eye patch each and a parrot on Jake’s shoulder. 

“You guys made it!” Jake cheered, giving Roy a hug. 

“Quick, get in or we’ll get suspended!” Logan hissed. Roy and Kaldur slipped in through the door and it was silently shut behind them. 

“No costumes?”

“We needed to wait until we go here to change,” Kaldur explained. 

“Ah, I see. This way then. The locker rooms are unlocked.” They followed Logan and Jake through the back area of the school’s gym. There was sports equipment everywhere, so Roy guessed it was a storage area of some kind. “Right here.” He opened the door so Kaldur and Roy could slip in. “Be quick.” 

Once they were inside, Roy whipped off his bag and pulled out the costumes. His hands were shaking a little as he changed. He pulled the hood up so it covered his hair, then pulled up the bottom part so it was covering his mouth and nose. Only his eyes were showing. He stuck the plastic sword in the red sash around his waist. The costume even had gloves that covered his burned palm. “How do I look?” he asked Kaldur, putting his hands on his hips. 

“…Like a normal 18-year-old,” Kaldur replied as he put his own clothes in the bag with Roy’s, then fixed his own mask. 

“I’m glad. Let’s go.” They exited the room to rejoin Jake and Logan. 

“Let’s party!” Logan cheered. The four boys made their way into the gym. 

As soon as they walked in, Roy’s eyes widened. Everywhere, there were teenagers in costumes. They were dancing or just standing around talking to each other. His head couldn’t help but swivel from side to side as he and Kaldur wove their way through the crowd. ‘This…is a real dance,’ he thought. ‘A real high school dance. With people my age and everything!’ He hadn't been around so many people his own age since before Brave Bow died. ‘6 years. It’s been 6 years.’ There was a sudden pang of longing in Roy’s heart and he came to a sudden stop. ‘Why did it have to be 6 years? Why couldn’t I have had this all along?’ His sudden stop got the attention of Kaldur, who was holding his hand. 

“Ro- Ray?” he asked. He studied his friend for a few seconds. “Ray, are you ok?”

“Mhm.” Roy forced himself to nod. ‘I can’t think about that. I’m here now. Better late than never I guess.’ 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m fine, Kal. Let’s go before we lose Jake and Logan.” 

Kaldur studied Roy’s eyes for a moment before conceding. “Ok.” They hurried to catch up with their friends, weaving through the crowd of high schoolers as they did. Eventually, the four stopped in an open spot on the dance floor. Jake and Logan wasted no time dancing, holding each others’ hands as they did. 

Not sure if he was doing it right, Roy tried to imitate them. He moved along with the beat of the music to the best of his ability. It took him a few minutes to not only get into the beat but to stay with, it but he did get the hang of it. ‘This is actually really fun,’ Roy thought, looking around at the decorations. This close to the music, he could actually feel some of the beats in his chest, rattling his ribs. And he loved it. It was different from anything he’d ever done and it was amazing. He was dancing at a high school, with people his age dancing around him. He stole a glance at Kaldur after two songs, then came to a sudden stop. “Kal!” he shouted a little, trying to be heard over the music. “Why aren’t you dancing?!”

“I cannot dance!” Kaldur replied. 

“What?! You brought me to a dance and you can’t dance?!”

“…That would be correct.”

Roy smiled in amusement under his mask. “I’ll help you!” He took Kaldur’s hand and started tugging it in time with the music. “Come on, just follow my lead!” Kaldur didn’t reply verbally, but he did try to move like Roy was. He moved incredibly slowly at first, clearly apprehensive about this. Trying to get him to loosen up, Roy grabbed his other hand. He started moving both their arms in opposite directions, rocking them back and forth. Finally, Kaldur started moving from foot to foot. ‘He’s getting it,’ Roy thought happily. He kept trying to up the pace, swinging their arms more wildly to keep them moving. Someone grabbed Roy’s hand suddenly, breaking it away from Kaldur’s. For a second, Roy’s muscles seize and his brain switched into vigilante mode, but then he saw it was just Jake. His friend had a wide grin on his face as Logan took Kaldur’s other hand. 

The four of them danced in a strange, little circle. At some point, they dropped hands but continued to dance in the tiny circle they’d formed. A quick glance around told Roy that this wasn’t exactly an uncommon thing. Most people had formed circles or tight groups with their own friends. It only made him happier. There was just something about being here, doing what everyone else was doing. The backpack bounced against his back a little bit, but he didn’t mind. ‘It’s only clothes,’ he thought. And their comms and his phone, but those things were zipped up safely in a small compartment. So he wasn’t worried. They danced for what felt like a long time, no talking necessary. However, a quick look at Kaldur told Roy that his friend was moving slowly and a tad sluggishly. 

Frowning a bit, Roy moved closer. “Are you dehydrated?” he asked Kaldur, speaking directly into his friend’s ear so he didn’t need to shout. Kaldur nodded, so Roy turned to Jake and Logan. “Kalvin and I are going to get some water!”

“Have fun, dude!” Logan replied. 

Roy grabbed Kaldur’s hand and pulled him off the dance floor. Navigating the dance was a little difficult due to the low lighting and loud music. It was a little disorienting. Skirting a group of people who were….rubbing up against each other it looked like, he spotted three large, plastic bins on tables. ‘Awesome!’ He made a beeline for the table, dragging Kaldur along behind him. There were mini water bottles in the plastic bins. He grabbed one and untwisted the cap. “Here.” 

“Thank you,” Kladur replied. He glanced around, then slipped the lower part of his mask down a bit so he could drink. It took exactly 10 seconds for all the water in the mini bottle to disappear. 

“Another?”

“Please.”

Chuckling to himself, Roy handed another water to his friend. Kaldur downed that one as well then was immediately handed another one. As discreetly as possible, Roy threw the empty bottles in a recycling bin. After six bottles, Kaldur looked less like he would pass out. “Feel better?”

“Yes.” Kaldur grabbed another water and held it out to Roy. “Now you drink one.”

“I’m alright-“

“No, you can dehydrate too. Drink.”

“Fine.” Roy slipped down the bottom half of his mask so he could drink. He downed it quickly though so that he could pull his mask back up though. “Ready to go back?” 

“Yes.”

Once again, Kaldur found himself being pulled through the crowd, almost tripping in their haste. Somehow, against all odds in Kaldur’s mind, they found Jake and Logan again. The two teens welcomed them back into their dance. ‘This music is very loud,’ he thought as he once aging allowed Roy to pull him into a dance. ‘And I feel a little ridiculous moving like this.’ This wasn’t like dancing back home, but then he supposed dancing on the surface wouldn’t be exactly the same as underwater. ‘And it is warm in here. Really warm. My gills feel constricted in this costume. It is very uncomfortable.’ His gaze wandered to Roy though, who was clearly having the time of his life. ‘But he is happy. Look at how much fun he is having.’ Even if Roy’s mouth was covered by the mask, he could still tell he was happy. And being here with Roy was….fun. Even if it was hot and a little suffocating. ‘I would do anything to be here with him.’ The thought made Kaldur smile. ‘It is fun as long as he is here.’

— — 

For once, Halloween was a slow night for Batman. Barely any crime, mostly just stopping teenagers from making stupid decisions. ‘It seems that’s all I spend my time doing,’ he thought, glancing out at the empty space that was usually filled by his two proteges. ‘Perhaps I should end patrol early. If something drastic comes up I’m sure Commissioner Gordon will put the signal up.’ He nodded to himself, then grappled down from the rooftop he’d been on. Then he went to the Bat-mobile and drove straight back to the Bat Cave. ‘I can look over case files at least. I can be productive in some form.’ Which would also keep him away from the two teenage boys who were watching the goriest, PG-13 zombie movies they’d been able to get their hands on. A grimace crossed the Dark Knight’s face. ’Teenagers perplex me.’ 

Upon arriving at the Cave, he sat down at the computer and pulled back his cowl. Form the corner of Bruce’s eye, he saw Roy’s work station. ‘I wonder what he’s up to tonight….’ There’d been no word from him all night. ‘I could just….check on him.’ Checking on him was ok. After all, if his information served him correctly, the two of them were alone in Mount Justice. Keeping this in mind, he brought up feeds of the security cameras inside the mountain. The first one showed the main cavern of the cave, which was empty. He changed to another, the living room. Empty. He checked another angle, this one included the kitchen. Also empty. A frown crept across Bruce’s face. The hangar was empty. Both their bedrooms were empty. 

Before he could even register what he was doing, the cowl was back on and Batman was heading for the Bat-mobile. “Arsenal,” he said into his comm as he drove out of the Bat Cave. There was no response. “Arsenal.” Still no response. “Arsenal, answer me.” Silence. The Dark Knight refused to acknowledge the worry that was creeping up his spine. Despite this denial, he just remembered to engage the cloaking mechanism of the Bat-mobile before heading for the zeta tube. 

“Batman, 02,” the zeta announced. 

“Arsenal!” Batman called out. He scanned the main cavern but saw no signs of his protege. “Arsenal! Aqualad!”

“Batman?” Black Canary asked, coming around the corner. “What’re you doing here?”

“Is Arsenal here?”

“I don’t know, I just got here. Is he supposed to be in the mountain?”

“Yes, he is.” Batman put his hand to his comm. “Aquaman.”

“Yes, Batman?” Aquaman replied almost immediately. 

“Do you know where Aqualad is?”

“He is at Mount Justice with Arsenal tonight.”

“No, he’s not. I’m here and neither of them is.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. And neither of them are answering their comms.”

There was a moment of tense silence. “…I shall be right there.”

“Do you think something happened to them?” Black Canary asked, a hint of worry in her voice as Batman brought up several holographic screens. 

“I don’t know,” Batman growled, still ignoring the growing worry that was spreading to his chest and stomach. He pulled up the security cameras again, then rewound the footage until he spotted the boys. When he played the video, it showed Roy and Kaldur leaving Mount Justice via the zeta tubes. Three hours ago. 

“They left? Where could they have gone?”

“I don’t know.” Batman stopped away from the holo-screen, while Black Canary stepped up to them. With his back turned to her, Batman discreetly pulled a burner phone from a pouch on his utility belt. It was a long shot but… He called Roy, four times, but never got an answer. ‘Dammit, Roy,’ he thought as he stowed the phone back in his belt. ‘Why would you leave the security of the cave?! Where the hell could you have gone?!’ 

— — 

Back at the dance, Roy and Kaldur were taking a break from the dancing. As he handed Kaldur another mini water, Roy noticed there were pieces of candy scattered around the table. “Hmm…” He selected a bag of skittles and ripped it open. “Here.” He took Kaldur’s hand and poured a couple of pieces into it. 

“What is it?” Kaldur asked him.

“Candy.” Roy quickly poured the rest of the mini bag into his out while Kaldur shoved the few in his hand into his mouth. 

“Mmmm. Very tasty.”

“Good. Come on, I think the dance is ending soon.”

“Then we should get back to the dance floor.” This time Kaldur was able to keep up with Roy as they easily navigated to their spot on the dance floor. 

“You guys never rest, do you?” Roy asked Logan and Jake, who was still dancing away. 

“Nope!” Jake replied. 

“We are young and invincible!” Logan added. 

“They are strange,” Kaldur whispered to Roy, who was just able to hear him over the music.

“Who are we to judge?” Roy asked in response. 

Kaldur didn’t have an argument against that. He found it was much easier to get back into the dancing now. They danced for a little while, and then the song suddenly changed. When one ended, another started but this one was slower and softer. Not at all like the music they'd been listening to all night. All around them, the small groups of people broke up into pairs. ‘What-‘ He looked to Logan and Jake, who were dancing very close together with their arms wrapped around each other. Kaldur turned back to Roy, who was standing there awkwardly. “I believe we are supposed to dance…slower and closer.” 

“Looks like it.” Roy moved closer to Kaldur and slowly wrapped his arms around his waist. Kaldur followed suit, but at a much slower pace, a little afraid he’d scare his friend off. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Roy pulled him so they were slowly moving from foot to foot, so close that their bodies were practically touching. 

‘This is more like it,’ Kaldur thought as he moved even closer, putting his head on Roy’s shoulder as they danced. ‘This is…perfect.’ 

‘…This is far better than I imagined,’ Roy thought as he kept guiding their footsteps. His heart was pounding, but for once he liked that. It wasn’t because he was anxious or panicked. For once, it had nothing to do with his trauma or Oliver. Right here, right now, it was because he was with Kal. He was with someone he trusted who he could be close to without fear of being hurt. ‘This must be what it's like to be a normal 18-year-old.’ A smile crossed his face. ‘I like this. I like this a lot.’ 

Unfortunately, the song came to an end. The next one was just as energetic and loud as the ones before it. Despite the change in tone though, it still took Roy and Kaldur a minute to break apart. For a couple of seconds, they stood there holding hands, just staring at each other. Then Logan and Jake pulled a hand away from each of them. 

“Come on guys!” Logan yelled. “This is the last song of the night!”

Roy tried not to make a noise of disappointment. He didn’t want this wonderful night to end. So instead, he focused on having fun as he danced with his friends through the last song. The two couples dropped hands when the song finally came to an end. The lights came up in the gym and everyone started streaming toward the exit. 

“You guys sneaking out the back?” Jake whispered. 

“Yes,” Kaldur replied.

“Let’s hurry then, while there’s still a crowd.” The four of them found the door they entered by and left through it. Before they left, Roy and Kaldur changed back into their normal clothes; complete with Roy’s sunglasses. 

“You’re really attached to those, shades, aren’t you, Ray?” Logan asked. 

“They’re like a security blanket,” Roy replied easily. Jake snickers while Logan outright laughed. 

“You’re something else, man.”

“Thank you for sneaking us in,” Kaldur told the two civilians. “We appreciate it.”

“Of course! Who doesn’t love a little rebellion?” 

“We need to get going,” Jake said. “We’ll see you guys soon.”

“Later!” 

Roy and Kaldur waved as the two couples went their opposite ways. The two young heroes were silent as they slipped out the back door and headed in the direction of where they’d hidden Roy’s bike. 

“Did you have a good time?” Kaldur asked him once they were walking down the sidewalk. 

“I did,” Roy replied with a smile. He took Kaldur’s hand. “Thanks, Kal. This was an amazing first date.”

“Amazing?”

“Yeah.” Roy squeezed his hand. “Amazing.”

“Good. I am glad.”

— — 

The tension was so thick in Mount Justice that Black Canary could actually feel it pressing in on her. She watched as Aquaman paced over the same ten feet and Batman failed once again to track the missing boys. “I’m sure they’re fine,” she said. “You both saw the video, they left of their own accord. They’re both smart and skilled. They can look after each other.”

“This is so unlike, Kaldur,” Aquaman replied, a look of worry evident on his face. 

“I’m sure whoever they are-“

“Arsenal, B-04. Aqualad, B-03,” the zeta announced, cutting Canary off. The three heroes turned toward the zeta tube and sure enough, Roy and Kaldur were walking out. They were holding hands, which Batman zeroed in on right away, rather than the smile on Roy’s face. The smile didn’t last long though. Roy and Kaldur soon became aware of the tension in the room and looked at their mentors and Canary like they’d just noticed they were there. 

“Where were you?” Batman growled as Roy and Kaldur walked closer, now breaking their hands apart. The Dark Knight moved to the side so that Kaldur and Roy were between him and Aquaman. Roy swallowed and his heart started pounding at set up. “Well?!”

“Uh…we-we were at a dance,” Roy stammered. 

“A dance?”

“A high school dance. In-in Gotham.”

“You went into the city?!”

“It was my idea!” Kaldur said quickly. Batman turned to him, anger radiating off the Dark Knight. It was almost enough to make Kaldur shrink away in fear, but he didn’t. 

“You took him into the city?”

“Yes. I did.”

“You took him out of the safety of Mount Justice? In to the city where anything could’ve happened to him, including Green Arrow finding him?!”

“Yes.”

There was a moment of very tense silence, then, “Irresponsible. That’s what you are. Irresponsible, untrustworthy, you’re trying to get Roy killed-” 

“That is enough.” Aquaman interrupted, pushing Aqualad aside so he could be face-to-face with Batman. “What they did was wrong, I agree. But it is hardly a crime, Batman! There are far worse actives they could’ve been participating in! And no matter what they have done, you do not have the authority to talk to Kaldur like that!”

“I entrusted him with Roy’s safety! A trust he betrayed!”

“Kaldur wouldn’t have done it if he thought it could harm Roy!”

“Clearly he didn’t if he brought Roy into the city! He obviously doesn’t care enough about keeping him safe!”

“Don’t ever speak about my protege like that!”

“Stop it!” Black Canary ordered, stepping between them. She glared at each of them in turn. “Arguing between yourselves will get you nowhere.”

Batman growled low. “Roy is off the Team. Effective immediately.” 

Roy gasped in shock, suddenly feeling as though he couldn’t breathe. ‘What?!’

“No, Batman, please!” Kaldur begged suddenly. He took a step closer, but Aquaman put his hand on his chest to keep him from getting closer. “Please do not do this!” 

Instead of replying, Batman simply grabbed Roy by his wrist and practically dragged him toward the zeta tube. Roy followed obediently, his heart-bruising his rib cage. His head was filled with so many emotions, it felt like it would explode. He glanced back at Kaldur one last time before he was dragged through the zeta tube. Stepping out into Gotham, Batman pulled him over to the Bat-Mobile. With the cloaking mechanism disengaged, Batman finally released him next to the passenger door. Swallowing, Roy got in. As soon as Batman was in as well, the car took off.

— — 

Back in Mount Justice, Kaldur turned to Aquaman as soon as Roy disappeared. “Please, Annex Orin, you must talk to Batman!” he pleaded, slipping into Atlantean after the first word. “Please, you must!”

“Kaldur-“

“You do not understand how much this will affect Roy! How much it will hurt to be kept away from his friends!”

“Kaldur’ahm!” Aquaman put his hands on the teen’s shoulders. “I will try to reason with Batman.”

“Yes, please-“

“Hush. I give my word, as your king, that I will do everything in my power to reason with him. But be aware that Batman is not easily swayed. I will try my hardest, but I am not certain of how successful I will be.”

“Please try, Annex Orin. Please. Roy needs this team. He needs it. I fear for his mental health if he does not have this social interaction.”

“You have my word. I promise.”

“Thank you, sire.” 

Black Canary crossed her arms. She may not have been able to understand their conversation, but she was planning to talk to Batman herself. ‘Someone desperately needs to talk sense into him.’

— — 

The ride home did exactly nothing to calm Roy’s nerves. Being confined to a small space with an angry person wasn’t doing a lot for his anxiety. Tremors were shaking his fingers. He closed his eyes, trying to escape the tension in the small space. ‘I’m in so much trouble,’ he thought desperately. ‘I’m in so much trouble.’ When the car finally stopped, he got out almost reluctantly, not sure if he preferred to be in the car, or out in the Cave where punishment was inevitably waiting for him. When he got closer to the main part, he could see Dick and Wally standing by the stairs. 

As Roy took his sunglasses off, Dick could see the terrified look on his face, then the angry tone of Batman’s body language. ‘Not good,’ Dick thought. He turned to Wally. “Go.”

“But-“ Wally began, only to be cut off by a stern glare from the younger teen. 

“Go! I’ll fill you in later.” Wally nodded, then disappeared in a yellow steak out of the cave. 

“Upstairs,” Bruce ordered to Dick. He took off his cowl, which allowed both boys to see the furious tint in his eyes. “Now.” 

Part of Dick wanted to argue, but with how angry Bruce was, he decided it was best not to. More shouting wasn’t going to make Roy feel better. He gave his brother a supportive look before heading up the stairs. 

Roy watched him go with a bit of reluctance. ‘I always feel better when he’s around,’ he thought. ‘Oh well…’ He turned to Bruce, who was glaring at him so intensely Roy almost shrunk back physically. 

“What the hell were you thinking, Roy?! You deliberately disobeyed me! You went out into the city alone, unprotected and without my knowledge!”

“I-I wasn’t alone…” Roy objected weakly. “I had Kaldur-“

“You might as well have been alone with how much concern he’s shown for your safety! I don’t understand it, Roy! Do you want Oliver to find you again?! Do you want him to hurt you?!”

“N- No!”

“Then why would you be putting yourself in danger like this?! How could you be so willfully reckless?!”

“I just wanted to do something normal! To be like other people my age!”

“You can’t be, Roy! I thought you’d understand at least that! I knew letting you go out like I did was a bad idea!”

“…What?”

“I suppose I’m partially to blame, giving you the idea that normal teenage activities like that are something that you can have… But it’s still no excuse! You have to stay hidden where you’re safe!”

“Bruce-“

“I know what’s best for you!”

“But-“

“No buts! You’re benched from being Arsenal for two weeks!”

“Two weeks?!” Bruce had already taken him off the Team, wasn’t being separated from his friends punishment enough?! 

“Yes! And considering what you did, you’re lucky I’m still letting you go out at all!” Roy swallowed. “You are not to leave the Manor grounds, ever!”

“Bruce, please!”

“No! I had no idea where you were, Roy! You could’ve been dead for all I knew! You wouldn’t answer your comm or the-“ Bruce stopped suddenly and Roy’s blood froze like ice. “Do you have the phone?”

“The phone?”

Yes, Roy, the phone! The one I gave you for emergencies!” 

“Y-Yes.”

“Let me see it. Now!” Roy’s hand shook as he pulled the phone out of the zipped, side pouch where he’d kept it. With great reluctance, he handed the small device over to Bruce. His stomach was flipping and flopping as Bruce opened it. 

For a second nothing happened, then Bruce’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s Logan?”

Roy looked at the ground. “Uh….”

“Roy.” The icy and barely contained tone in Bruce’s voice made Roy lift his head. “Who is Logan?” 

“…He’s…someone I- I met. The f-first time Kal and I went to the mall.” 

“And you’ve been…communicating with him?”

“Yes.” There was a tense silence in which neither of them moved or said a word. Then, before Roy could do or say anything, Bruce dropped the phone onto the hard Cave floor, then crushed it under his boot. “No!” Roy stepped forward, but Bruce easily shoved him back with one hand. Shocked and distraught, the shove caused Roy to fall to the ground, despite it not being that hard. When Bruce moved his foot again, Roy saw the pile of wires and broken metal that used to be his only lifeline to the outside world. A sense of hopelessness settled in his chest, making it hard to breathe. A film of tears formed over his eyes. He looked up at Bruce. 

“No more of this, Roy! You will stay here where you’re safe and you will not talk to any civilians, or Kaldur, anymore! Is that understood?!” 

“Y-Yes…” Roy croaked, voice tight with unshed tears. 

“Go to bed!” 

Not needing to be told twice, Roy scrambled to his feet and up the stairs. He was in such a hurried frenzy that he slipped halfway up. It barely slowed him though, as he kept going. He made it out the grandfather clock, then made a beeline for his bedroom. It felt like it took forever for him to get there but Dick was waiting for him outside his bedroom door when he did. 

Dick stood up straight as soon as he saw his brother. “Roy?” he asked. “Are you ok?” Roy shook his head, unable to talk. “Roy-“ Dick reached out for him, unknowingly reaching for the same wrist Bruce had grabbed earlier that night, to which Roy made a distraught noise and took a defensive step back. “Roy, bro, it's ok It's ok.” Dick opened the door to Roy’s room and gestured for him to follow. As soon as Roy was in the room, Dick shut the door and turned around to find his older brother wrestling to get the bag off his back. “Roy…” Dick ran over to him and, as gently as he could, untangled Roy’s arms from the straps. As soon as the bag was off his back, Roy collapsed in a boneless heap on the ground. Dick threw the bag to the side so he could kneel beside his brother. “Roy- Roy!” He resisted the urge to reach outdoor him. It was obvious Roy was having a panic attack and touching him while it was happening never helped. Usually, it just made everything worse. “Roy, bro, breathe.” Dick took very deep, loud, and exaggerated breaths. “In…out…In…out…” The hyperventilating had some whine to it. “Roy, you need to breathe! Come on! In…out…In…” Roy dragged in a small breath. “There you go. Keep going. Now exhale. Inhale. How your breath. Good job. Now exhale.” 

For ten minutes, Dick kept guiding Roy’s breathing. Once the hyperventilating stopped, Dick gently placed his hands on Roy’s shoulder. “Come on, Bro. Let’s get you onto the bed. Come on.” As soon as Roy was laying on the bed, he suddenly broke down into tears. Worry creased Dick’s face as he gently started rubbing Roy’s back. “What’s wrong?”

“It-it’s all bad!” Roy sobbed. 

“What happened? Explain to me, Roy.”

“K-Kal and I snuck out to a dance in Gotham…. We-we got caught and Bruce- He said I can’t be on the team anymore!”

“He did what?!” Dick reeled in his own anger when Roy’s whole body flinched. “Sorry, bro. Keep going.”

“He d-dragged me out of the cave and said I’m not allowed to leave! He-he was so mad Dick! And I-I…” Roy’s words broke down and he just put his face in the blanket and sobbed. 

‘He dragged Roy out of the Cave? He can’t mean that literally…’ Curious, Dick gently looked at Roy’s wrist and almost gasped. There were red marks on it like someone had grabbed him with a little bit of excessive force. Dick’s stomach twisted into angry knots. ‘Bruce! How could you do that to him?!’ Dick shook his head in disgust. ‘Someone has to say something but…I’m only 13. And…how would I say it?’ An idea struck him and he carefully pulled out his phone, As silently as possible he snapped a picture of the red marks. He could pass this information along after he got Roy calmed down a bit more.“It’s ok, Roy.” Dick laid down so his head was on his brother’s back. “It’s ok.”

Roy shook his head. ‘It won’t be ok….’ he thought as his brother cuddled against him. A sense of foreboding and helplessness settled over him. ‘It’s not going to be ok.’


	31. Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's only like, six weeks of chapters left guys. I can't believe how close we are to the end. (And yet we're also kind of far because there are more important plot points coming.) But we aren't at the end yet, so enjoy.

“UncleBarryUncleBarryUncleBarry!” The light turned on and blinded Barry and Iris. “UncleBarryUncleBarryUnlceBarryUnlceBarry!”

“…HI, Wally,” Iris said, a hint of amusement in her tired voice. 

“What time is it?” Barry mumbled, face buried in his pillows. 

“12:01 am.”

“Really, Wally?!”

“IjustgotatextfromDickandRoyisreallyupsetheandKaldurwentoutandthentheygotcaughtandBrucewasreallyreallymadandhedraggedRoyoutofhteCaveand-“

“Whoa, wait!” Barry suddenly bolted upright, causing Iris to give him a worried look. “Back up! What happened to Roy?”

“Dick said that Bruce dragged him out of Mount Justice!”

“…He dragged Roy?!”

“Yeah! He left red marks and everything!”

“…What?!”

“See?!” Wally zoomed forward, suddenly kneeling on the bed between his aunt and uncle. He held out his phone for Barry to see. Barry took the device and his mouth opened a little in shock. Sure enough, there were red marks on someone’s wrist. 

“Dammit, Bruce!” Barry sighed and threw back the blankets. 

“What’re you doing?” Iris ask him.

“What does it look like? I’m going to Gotham and getting Roy!”

“Barry-“

“No, you can’t expect me to just sit here when Bruce hurt him!”

“Unintentionally-“

“That doesn’t matter! Roy’s probably scared out of his mind to be around Bruce right now! Not that I could blame the poor kid!”

“Go get him, Uncle Barry!” Wally said encouragingly. 

“You be quiet,” Iris told him sternly. She turned back to her husband and held out her hand. Barry hesitated, then took it and let her pull him closer. “I know you’re worried, but we both know Bruce would never intentionally hurt Roy. Besides, if you just show up in Gotham in the middle of the night and whisk Roy away, it will upset him more.”

“…You’re right.” Barry sighed and rubbed his hair. 

“No, she’s not!” Wally objected. 

“Yes, Walls, she is. As usual. If I were Roy, I’d be freaked out by someone just taking me away in the middle of the night. Send me the picture of his wrist though.”

“Sure, but why?”

“I need proof when I talk to Dinah.”

“You’re going to tell Black Canary?”

“I have to. Sounds like we’re gonna have to have a talk with Bruce.” He saw the unhappy look on his nephew’s face. “Wally, I swear, if I thought Roy was in immediate danger, I’d bring him here in a heartbeat. But your aunt is right, Bruce would never do something like this intentionally.

Wally sighed. “Sure… I guess.”

“If you want to see how Roy is, talk to him next time you see him.”

“Who knows when that’ll be since Batman pulled him off the Team!” Wally threw himself down dramatically. 

“He did?” 

“Yeah! Dick said that Bruce told Roy he’s not allowed to leave the Manor.”

“What the hell?” Barry sighed and stood up. 

“Where are you going?” Iris asked him. 

“To call Dinah. Bruce needs some sense smacked into him.”

“And you’re going to do it?”

“God, no. But Dinah will without hesitation.” Barry grabbed his phone as he left the room. ‘And if she fails, we can always tell Diana.’

— — 

The next morning, Roy didn’t want to go down to breakfast. He curled up under his blankets, unwilling to move. 

“Roy,” Dick said nudging his brother gently. “Come on, it’s breakfast time.”

“Not hungry…”

“You have to be.” When Roy shook his head, Dick pulled the blanket back enough to see his older brother’s face. “Come on, Roy.”

“No.”

“It’ll be fine. Come on.” Dick grabbed Roy’s hand and pulled him up into a sitting position. “Let’s go eat. I’m sure everything will look…better in the light of day.” 

“…Think so?”

“Of course. Besides, Alfred won’t let you get away with not eating.”

“…You’re right.” Roy sighed and threw the blanket aside. “You’ll be there though?”

“Of course. Let’s get dressed, then meet me in the hall. Ok?” 

“Ok.” Dick let the room, so Roy got dressed. His hands were clammy and there was a tight sense of dread in his stomach. ‘What if- what if Bruce is still mad? What will I do then?’ But Bruce had never hit him, and always said he never would. ‘That was when I was…a kid though. It- It’s not technically child abuse if I’m 18, right?’ The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He glanced down at his wrist, where there had been red marks the night before. ‘They’re gone now. Good. I’d feel really bad about having to lie to Dick and Alfred about them.’ Once he was dressed, Roy waited outside his room. Every so often, he glanced at the door to Bruce’s room while his fingers drummed off his arms and his heart kept beating faster and faster. 

Finally, Dick joined him, smiling. “Come on, Roy,” he said. “Let’s eat.” 

Roy let himself be led down to breakfast. When they walked into the dining room, Bruce was already there. Roy nearly came to a stop, but Dick pulled him along. Instead of sitting in his normal seat though, Dick sat Roy next to himself; so that Dick was sitting between Bruce and Roy. If Bruce noticed the strange seating arrangement, he didn’t comment on it. 

“Here are your breakfasts, sirs,” Alfred said, settling two plates of blueberry pancakes in front of them. 

“Thanks, Alfred.” 

“You’re very welcome, Master Dick.” Alfred glanced at Roy, but he stayed silent. The gaze moved to Dick, who discreetly shook his head. Alfred nodded in understanding, then went back into the kitchen. 

It was quiet for a few minutes as they ate, then Bruce spoke. “Roy,” he said, not looking up from his paper. 

“Y-Yes?” Roy stammered after jumping. 

“Go get the messaging device you use to talk to Kaldur’ahm and bring it down here.”

“…Yes, Bruce.” Roy got up from the table and left the room at a fast pace. 

“Is Master Roy grounded?” Alfred asked a little displeased Bruce had interrupted Roy’s breakfast. 

“Yes, he’s not allowed to out as Arsenal for two weeks,” Bruce replied. 

“What does that have to do with Kaldur?” Dick asked. 

“He’s not allowed to talk to Kadlur’ahm anymore.”

“Why?!”

“No shouting.”

“Bruce… Kaldur is Roy’s best friend. You can’t just tell them they can’t talk to each other anymore!”

“Dick, shouting.”

Dick glared at him. “Bruce, they’re best friends. The only best friend Roy has.”

“Kaldur’ahm is a bad influence on Roy.” 

That made Dick roll his eyes. ‘I can’t imagine Kaldur being a bad influence on anyone!’ The conversation ended due to Roy returning. Very reluctantly, he held out the IM device to Bruce. Bruce took it without comment. He folded his paper, then downed the rest of his coffee and got up. 

“What’re you going to do with it?” Dick asked as he gestured for Roy to sit again. 

“I’ll dispose of it downstairs.”

‘Seriously?!’ Dick made the mistake of looking at Roy, who’d pushed his plate aside and put his head down on his arms. ‘Bruce can’t just destroy Roy’s things because he’s mad at him!’ He reached out and gently rubbed Roy’s back. 

“What is going on?” Alfred asked. 

“Well… Roy and Kaldur kind of snuck out last night,” Dick explained. “They went to a dance somewhere in Gotham and… Bruce is overreacting a little bit.”

“Yes, I’d agree to that.” 

“You should eat, Roy.” Dick turned his attention back to his brother and slid his plate closer. 

“I’m not hungry…” Roy mumbled. 

“Just a few more pieces?” Dick cut up several pieces of pancake and gently slipped the spoon into Roy’s hand. “Come on…” He waited for a few seconds, then Roy started eating slowly. He ate exactly six pieces of pancake, then pushed his plate away. 

“If you’re done eating you are dismissed, Master Roy,” Alfred said. 

“Thanks, Alfred,” Roy whispered. He got up and slunk out of the room. 

Dick shook his head. “I’m worried about him, Alfred.”

“As I am, Master Dick,” Alfred replied. 

“And… There’s something else too…”

“What is it?” Dick glanced back at the door, then gestured for Alfred to come closer. Intrigued, Alfred knelt down next to him. As discreetly as possible, Dick showed Alfred the picture of Roy’s wrist. 

Alfred gasped. “My word!”

“Bruce did that last night. He dragged Roy out of Mount Justice and… I think he was accidentally a little rough.”

“I would say so.” 

“I sent it to Wally last night, and he said his uncle is going to talk to Bruce.”

“Then I shall let the other heroes deal with him. But he may need to deal with an icy shoulder for a few days.”

“I’d say he deserves it. I’m going to go check on Roy.”

“You should. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

“I will.” Dick left the dining room and went searching for his brother. 

— —

Black Canary paced back and forth, occasionally stopping to look at the picture Flash had sent her the night before. ‘How could I let Roy leave with Bruce last night?’ she lamented. ‘I knew he was angry and I should’ve intervened. Roy’s not going to stand up to Bruce himself.’ She looked at the picture again. Guilt tightened her chest a bit. ‘I let him leave with Bruce and he got hurt.’ She froze as a horrible thought occurred to her. ‘What if this isn’t the first time Bruce was too rough with him? I know Bruce would never intentionally hurt Roy, but clearly, he isn’t the best judge of when he was being too rough. What if he’s had other marks like that before I never noticed?’ She was Roy’s therapist. If anyone should notice something was wrong, it should be her. 

“You look like you want to punch someone,” Flash noted as he walked into the room. 

“Can you blame me?” 

“Not really.” 

“Is Batman here?” Aquaman asked as he walked in. 

“Not yet. I’m surprised you wanted to talk to him with us.”

“I promised Kaldur I would talk to Batman and try to reason with him about taking Arsenal off the Team.”

“I still don’t understand why he did that.”

“We’ll find out,” Black Canary said. ‘I for one want a very thorough explanation.’ She heard someone approaching and turned around. “Batman.”

“What was so important that you needed to talk to me in person?” Batman asked. 

“Arsenal.”

“What about him?”

“Let’s start with this!” Black Canary held out her phone and studied Batman as he scrutinized the picture on the phone in front of him. When his mouth thinned into a straight line, something in her chest loosened. ‘He’s aware what he did was wrong.’ That wasn’t going to stop her though. “Well?”

“Where did you get this?”

“We have a source,” Flash replied. 

“I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

“You dragged him out of Mount Justice!” Black Canary snapped. “He was abused and you put your hands on him while you were angry!”

“I didn’t want to hurt him!”

“We understand that,” Flash replied, putting a hand on Black Canary’s arm. “But you still did. You need to be more careful around him, especially if you’re angry.”

“Is that all?”

“No,” Aquaman said. “You took Arsenal off the Team.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I should never have let him on the Team in the first place. It's not safe for him.”

“Why just him?” Flash asked. “What about Robin?”

“It’s not the same with Robin. Green Arrow isn’t trying to kill him!”

“Green Arrow hasn’t gotten anywhere near Arsenal for years!”

“Because I’ve kept him close to me. Green Arrow wouldn’t dare come near Arsenal when I’m around.”

“Even if Green Arrow got near him, which he wouldn’t because we blackmailed him in case you forgot, Arsenal is more than capable of protecting himself. He’s an adult now, not a scared child.”

“No! If Green Arrow got near him again, it would be a disaster!”

“What about stopping him from talking to Aqualad?” Flash asked. “Or keeping him locked in Wayne Manor?”

“To protect him. Inside the Manor, he’s safe and Aqualad is giving him ideas that are getting him into trouble.”

“Aqualad cares for Arsenal!” Aquaman objected. “I know you know that because I told you about it!”

“If he really cared about Arsenal, he wouldn’t have taken him out.”

“You’re controlling Arsenal,” Flash said. “Call it whatever you want, but what you’re doing is almost as bad as Green Arrow! You’re trying to control his life to a really unhealthy degree.” The lenses on Batman’s cowl narrowed, but the speedster stood his ground. 

“Giving him the freedom I did was what convinced him he didn’t need to follow the rules. The rules that are in place to keep him safe.”

“You’re suffocating him,” Dinah said. “He’s 18, he wants to be independent.”

“But, Green Arrow-“

“Batman,” Aquaman interrupted. “Green Arrow would never come near Arsenal. He would be stupid to do that.”

“That’s what I thought two years ago, but that didn’t stop Green Arrow from attacking him!”

“You cannot allow that one incident to dictate every decision you make about Arsenal!”

“Yes, I will.”

“Batman-“ Flash began but stopped when the Dark Knight put his hand up. 

“None of you were there. You weren’t there in the aftermath of that attack…or at least, not 24/7,” he amended, looking at Black Canary. “You weren’t there when Arsenal slept in Robin’s bed for nearly two weeks straight because he was having nightmares about his brother dying. Or when he refused to let Robin leave for school because he was so convinced something would happen to him. None of you were there when Arsenal refused to go back on patrol for months because he was convinced Green Arrow was somewhere in Gotham, waiting for him. None of you saw the panic attacks, the nightmares, or how unsafe he felt no matter how much I reassured him.” His eyes narrowed. “I let him down once, and it won’t happen again. Call me unreasonable, but I will not change my mind. I will do whatever I have to in order to keep Arsenal safe.” He left the room without another word. 

‘I don’t need to explain myself to them,’ he thought as he walked back toward the zeta. ‘Roy is my son, I’ll decide what’s best for him. And what’s best is for him to stay hidden. Where I can see him and where I can protect him.’ It still sent a shiver down his spine to remember that night Oliver attacked Roy and Dick on that Gotham rooftop. ‘I had one job, and that was to keep Roy safe from that monster. It took me months to convince him it wasn’t an empty promise. And it’s not. I won’t allow Oliver to ever get near him again. Even if he’s unhappy….at leads he’ll be alive.’ Batman would take an unhappy Arsenal over a dead one any day. ‘And I have to be harsh to make sure he follows the rules. So he won’t do things that will put him in danger.’ 

The picture of Roy’s wrist from the previous night came to his mind and he cringed. ‘I never meant to actually hurt him. I just wanted to get him out there.’ But he had hurt Roy, and on that Black Canary was correct; it was unacceptable. ‘I need to talk to him when I get home. I know his brain works.’ 

It seemed to take forever for him to get home in the Bat-mobile once he’d exited the zeta tube, and then to get changed out of his suit. As soon he did, he made a beeline for Roy’s bedroom. He hadn’t seen his older ward the entire day after breakfast. After a moment of hesitation, Bruce knocked on Roy’s door. “Roy?” Bruce asked gently. “Can I come in.”

“…Yeah,” came the timid reply from the other side of the door. 

Bruce entered the room slowly, afraid he might scare Roy. As soon as he saw Roy though, he decided there really wasn’t a high chance of that because Roy already looked terrified. ‘That’s not good…’ he thought. ‘Ok, ok. I can fix this.’ He eyed the book open in Roy’s lap. “Reading?”

“Uh-huh.” 

Bruce frowned. ‘He won’t even look at me.’ Maybe the situation was a little worse than he anticipated. “Roy-“ Roy pulled back when Bruce moved closer and reached out for him. “We need to talk.”

“O-Ok….” Roy’s limbs seemed to pull closer to his body. 

“I’m sorry.” It was probably better to just get it out in the open. “I shouldn’t have grabbed your wrist last night.” Roy still didn’t look at him, but he didn’t seem to be getting any more upset either. “I was angry, and I should never put my hands on you when I’m angry like that. I never have the right to do that.” Roy remained silent. “Roy, say something, please.”

“…Ok.”

“Ok?”

Roy nodded. “You’re sorry you hurt me. Ok.”

Ok, not forgiven. Which, honestly, was what Bruce felt he deserved. “You believe me?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Good.” Bruce turned to go, but Roy’s voice stopped him.

“But you’re not sorry about taking me off the Team?” 

Bruce resisted the urge to sight as he turned back to Roy. “No, I’m not sorry about that, because I’m doing it to protect you.”

“But… I was fine on the Team…”

“I know it seemed that way, Roy.” Bruce sat down on the edge of the bed. He was still several feet from Roy, but now they were on the same level. “And this is partly my fault, I shouldn’t have let you on the Team in the first place. It’s not safe for you to be away from Gotham. I can’t protect you if you’re not here. Do you understand?”

“But…Kal was protecting me.”

“Kaldur’ahm…” Roy almost flinched at how much venom Bruce said the Atlantean’s name with. “Is nothing but a bad influence on you.”

‘Bad influence?’ Roy thought. ‘But Kal is so kind and responsible and… I like him.’ 

“I know this seems bad, but you’ll understand eventually.” Bruce reached out and patted Roy’s knee gently. “I’m doing this because I want what’s best for you.” Roy didn’t say anything or look very convinced, but Bruce still stood to leave. 

Roy watched him leave and looked down at his book. He stared at the words, not really comprehending them. ‘At least he didn’t mean to hurt me,’ Roy thought a little miserably. ‘But… I need my friends. I need Kaldur. I can’t stay cooped up in the Manor forever. I…I need them.’ Part of Roy felt that if Bruce truly wanted what’s best for him, he’d realize that. ‘But… Bruce is my…he’s in charge of me. My mentor. But I’m an adult…’ Roy sighed and closed his book so he could throw himself down dramatically on his bed. ‘But Bruce is Bruce. What can I do about it?’

— — 

Aqualad stood perfectly still in front of the computer. ‘Batman should be here soon,’ he thought, keeping an ear out for the zeta tube. It had been nearly three days since Halloween. Any message he sent to Arsenal went unanswered and Aquaman had been unable to persuade Batman to change his mind about Arsenal being on the Team. ‘This isn’t fair to Roy,’ Aqualad thought, guilt twisting his muscles and stomach. ‘I have to fix it.’

“Batman, 02,” the zeta tube announced. 

Aqualad ran over and stood right outside it when Batman exited. “Batman,” he said, as the vigilante tried to walk past him without even looking at him. “Batman, please listen.” He followed the Dark Knight, trying to keep pace with him. “Please, reconsider allowing R-“ No sooner had the sound crossed his lips than Batman turned to glare at him. “Arsenal. Please allow Arsenal to come back to the Team. He needs this Team. He is so lonely, he needs his friends.” He got no response as Batman continued to work by moving past Aqualad like he wasn’t even there. “Batman what happened on Halloween was my idea and he did not even want to go. I talked him into it. It is unfair that he is the only one being punished. If anyone should be taken off the Team because of this it should be me.” Batman didn’t say anything as he stepped up to another holographic keyboard of the computer. “Batman-”

“If I take you off the Team, who will be the leader?” Batman asked suddenly. He paused in his typing but still didn’t look at Aqualad. 

“I- I do not know.”

“Exactly. You should’ve thought about the consequences of your actions beforehand. Because you didn’t, Arsenal is no longer on the Team.” Batman turned away as Aqualad’s head dropped. The rest of the Team started to file into the main cavern. “Get ready for today’s training exercise.”

“Where’s Arsenal?” Artemis asked. She eyed Robin, who crossed his arms and glared at Batman. 

“Ask Aqualad.”

Aqualad almost flinched as everyone turned to look at him. “Arsenal…will no longer be joining us on the Team,” he explained quietly. The words almost physically pained him as he said them 

“Why?” Superboy asked. “What happened?”

Aqualad glanced at Batman, but he was silent. “It is…because of me. We snuck out and went to a dance in Gotham City.”

‘Batman really just took him off the team, just like that?’ Artemis wondered. The looks of her teammates, minus Robin and Kid Flash, told her they were thinking the same thing. She caught a look of sadness on Aqualad’s face before he turned away. Their leader’s back remained turned to them for a few seconds.

“Team, get ready for the training exercise.” Aqualad’s face had smoothed over to a neutral look. “Let’s go.”

— — 

After their exercise, Robin was practically cornered by everyone but Aqualad. 

“Did Batman really take Arsenal off the Team because he went to a dance?” Artemis asked. 

“We went to a dance on Halloween,” Miss Martian said. “Why is he in trouble?”

“Batman doesn’t let Arsenal go out…” Robin replied, somewhat evasively. 

“Why not?” Superboy asked.

“Because.” 

“Because, why? We’re a team, you shouldn’t be keeping secrets from us.”

“I know but…this has to do with something in Arsenal’s past with Green Arrow.” Even if his brother had told the Team the basics of his past, Robin didn’t know if Roy wanted the Team to know about the attack two years ago.

‘Makes sense I guess,’ Artemis thought. ‘If I had a psycho like that after me, I’d never leave home either.’

“Is there anything we can do to get Arsenal to come back?” Miss Martian asked. 

“I don’t know,” Robin sighed. 

“We could all be mad at Batman,” Kid Flash suggested. “Maybe it’ll change his mind!” 

Robin scoffed and rolled his eyes behind his mask. “Don’t hold your breath.”

“We could keep telling him to let Arsenal come back until he gives in,” Superboy suggested.

“No,” Aqualad told them, making everyone jump as he walked up behind them. “You will not do that.”

“But-” Superboy stopped when their leader held his hand up.

“This is my fault and I do not need any of you to fix it. Besides, I do not want you to do anything that could make Batman even angrier at me or Arsenal.” 

“Fine.” 

Aqualad looked at the others. There was nodding and murmuring of agreement. “Good. Now go. Batman is expecting Robin home soon.” Everyone started to leave, Robin bringing up the rear of the group. Aqualad stopped him though, by putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“What’s up?” Robin asked in confusion.

“I have tried to message Arsenal, but he does not answer.”

“Yeah… Batman took the IM device away from him.” He left out the part about it being destroyed, sensing it would just make Kaldur feel worse.

“I see. I was afraid of that.” He held out a piece of a paper that had been folded into fours. “Would you give this Arsenal, please?”

“Of course.” Robin took the paper and folded it even more, then hid it in a pouch on his utility belt. 

“Thank you. And…tell him…I’m sorry.”

“Will do.” Robin glanced around to make sure no one was around. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you sneak him out?”

“Do you promise you will not laugh?”

“Of course.”

“Arsenal and I…we were on a date.”

Robin smiled. “A date? Really?”

“Yes. I wanted it to be memorable for him…”

‘Mission accomplished I guess,’ Robin thought. “Don’t give up hope. B’s stubborn, but even he can’t stay mad forever.”

“I sincerely hope you are right.”

— — 

When Dick got home, he changed, then took the paper from his utility belt before he put it away. Quick as he could, he put the paper in his pocket, then glanced back at Bruce, who was working the computer. ‘Looks like I’m in the clear.’ He bolted up the stairs and into the Manor. Once he was in the study, he smiled to himself and ran the rest of the way to Roy’s room. “Hey Roy,” he said, taking a moment to knock on his brother’s door before opening it. “I got a surprise for you.” Dick made sure to shut the door before running to his brother. 

“What?” Roy asked, sitting up. 

“This.” Dick handed Roy the paper. “It’s from your secret admirer.”

“…My what?” 

“Just open it.”

Roy gave Dick a slightly apprehensive look as he accepted the paper and unfolded it. It was a letter. 

Roy,

I am very sorry that my actions resulted in you getting in trouble. I never meant for Batman to take you off the Team. I understand if you are angry, but I hope that you can forgive me. I will try to convince Batman to let you come back. Please do not despair too much. I will never stop fighting for you to have the freedom and friendship you desire. All is not lost, I promise. And I miss you.

Your Friend, 

Kaldur 

Roy stared at the short letter for a moment before a smile graced his lips. 

“What’s it say?” Dick asked. He craned this neck to see, but Roy quickly folded it back up. 

“Nothing that concerns you.” Roy almost smiled more at the half-hearted glare his brother gave him. “Thanks for bringing this, Dick.”

“You’re welcome.”

“….If I give you a reply, can you give it to Kal?”

“Of course.” He gave a mock salute. “The Robin Delivery Service is here for you.”

Roy snorted. “Thanks.” He got up and grabbed a notebook and pen from his desk. ‘I still have Kal. I have him and I have my brother. Kaldur’s right. All is not lost.’


	32. Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically it's Thursday right now, but just barely. Here's the next chapter! Let me know what you think!

Without the Team, Roy’s life took a very sudden, very boring turn. Now, without Mount Justice as a safe-haven during the day, he was stuck trying to find something in the Manor to entertain himself with. Despite Bruce’s apology (and Roy’s understanding that Bruce never meant to hurt him), being around him still set Roy on edge. He could feel his muscles tense involuntarily and his heart sped up a bit. There was a feeling like his brain was gearing up to react in an instant. Thankfully, there were no actual anxiety or panic attacks, but it made Roy feel a little better once Bruce left for the day. Dick gave Roy a sympathetic look before he left for school in the morning as if he understood the boredom and frustration his brother was feeling. Roy simply shrugged in response. It wasn’t like there was a lot Dick could do for him. (Despite the teen’s apparent belief that if he stopped talking to Bruce long enough the man would change his mind.) So, Roy was left to entertain himself alone. 

Practicing Spanish worked for a couple of hours and working on his Navajo a couple more after that. It wasn’t very fun and part of him wished he had someone with him he could talk to in order to practice. Exercising provided some physical relief from jitteriness, but he didn’t practice his fighting. Just looking at the dummies made him miss sparring with Kaldur and caused him to flee the gym. Even his trick arrow designs seemed too lackluster due to the fact he couldn’t go out as Arsenal for two weeks and couldn’t use them on missions ever again. Every once in a while he’d reach for his IM device, then remember that Bruce had taken it and opt to try and distract himself instead. Reading seemed like a good escape, but his brain was itching for something new. Something unfamiliar. So he went to the library. When he was wandering around the Manor’s library, though he realized how many of the books in there he’d read over the three years he’d been living in the Manor. 

‘I shouldn’t be surprised,’ he thought as his finger traced a line along the spines of some spy novels. ‘I’ve spent virtually three years with no friends and nowhere to go. What else am I supposed to do?’ He managed to find one that he hadn’t read before and sat down to enjoy it in an armchair. With his legs hung over the side, he propped the book open against his legs and read. Unfortunately, with nothing else really to do, he ended up reading the whole afternoon and finished the book by dinner time. ‘Guess that means tomorrow I’ll have to pick a new book.’ He put the book back and wandered around the Manor until it was time for dinner. Dick gave him a strange look as he sat down at the table. 

“You ok, bro?” Dick asked, frowning a bit. “You look…down.”

“Just…relishing how…fun my day was.”

“Hi, boys,” Bruce said as he joined them. “How was your day?”

Dick didn’t answer, so after a few seconds, Bruce moved on. “Roy?”

“…I just…practiced my Spanish and spent the afternoon reading.”

“That’s good. You should be keeping yourself busy.”

“…Yeah.” 

‘Does he really not see how miserable Roy is?!’ Dick wondered. ‘He’s so…heartless! How can he act like everything is normal when Roy is upset?!’ Unfortunately, his own mini-glare wasn’t doing a lot to help him. 

Bruce finished his dinner and left the dining room for the Bat Cave. “Let’s go, Dick,” he said as he did. 

Dick gave Roy an apologetic look as he followed Bruce. ‘This is going to be a long night.’ 

— — 

This pattern continued the next day.

The day after that, Alfred also became painfully aware of Roy’s loneliness and boredom. “Master Roy,” he said, interrupting the young man as he randomly stabbed his eggs. “I’m feeling a little lonesome today. Would you like to read some Robin Hood stories aloud?”

“Um…sure, but I-I was actually thinking of reading Sherlock Holmes today.”

“I would be delighted if you’d read to me while I work.”

“…Ok.” Roy quickly finished his cold eggs and bacon, then put his plate in the sink and wet to grab a book from the library. He found Alfred in the kitchen and leaned against the counter. He started reading while Alfred worked. While it was a little better than the day before, not even Alfred’s company could keep his mind from wandering. Roy pulled his attention back to the book, only to have it drift away again after a few minutes. He thought about Kaldur. What was he doing? Was he swimming alone? ‘I want to be with him so much that I would even go swimming again,’ Roy thought. 

“Master Roy?” Alfred prompted gently. 

“Yeah?”

“You trailed off and stopped talking, sir.”

“Oh, uh…sorry.” Roy went back to his book but found it hard to concentrate. He would read a sentence, realize halfway through the next one he hadn’t comprehending anything, then go back and start again. He managed to make it a few paragraphs before it happened again. 

Despite Alfred definitely noticing this, he didn’t say anything. He took much longer than needed to clean the kitchen as he listened, wanting to give Roy some company and positive attention. After a few minutes though, he realized that Roy had stopped at some point. “Master Roy?”

“Huh?”

“Are you ok?”

“…Is- Is it ok if I go outside?”

“Of course, sir. Are sure you’re ok though?”

“Yeah. I-I just want some fresh air. I’ll probably go for a walk around the grounds.”

“A very good idea, sir. If it’s still warm enough, perhaps you could have your lunch out there as well.”

“That’d be great. Thanks.” Roy left the kitchen and went upstairs to his room to put his shoes on. ‘Weird,’ he thought as he grabbed a sweater and headed few the back door. ‘I have shoes now, but I still feel so alone.’ Not even the thought that it was Friday could cheer him up because he knew Dick would want to go spend as much time as possible at Mount Justice during the weekend. ‘I wouldn’t be able to keep him from going. I can’t do that to him.’ Once he got outside, he put the sweater. ‘Why is it so cold here in November?’ he wondered as he started walking. ‘It never got this cold on the reservation and it didn’t start to get chilly in Star until after Thanksgiving.’ 

‘Kaldur probably wouldn’t think it’s cold,’ a voice in his head said. ‘He’s immune to cold after living in the cold ocean.’

‘Probably.’ 

‘But people would probably think he’s cold because he always has to wear long sleeves to cover his-‘

“Shut up!” Roy snapped at the empty air around him. “I- I can’t think about that.” Even if it’d only been three days, just the thought that he might not see Kaldur again caused a deep ache in his chest. “Which really sucks because I just realized how much I really care about him.” He put his hand on his chest. his chest. ‘But I don’t regret going out that night. If anything I just regret we got caught.’ Roy realized he was getting close to the fence, so he diverged from the path and wandered into the woods. He followed his landmarks until the metal fence was insight. When he reached it, he poked his head out of the tree line, then stepped out. Roy walked right up to the fence and wrapped his hands around the metal bars. Logically, he knew the fence was there to keep people off Bruce’s property, but in his mind, Roy couldn’t help but feel like right now its purpose was to keep him in. He looked at the ground and scuffed his toe on the grass a bit. ‘I don’t want to be locked in like this for the rest of my life.’ 

The restless feeling that he’d been feeling since his birthday resurfaced and this time it had doubled in strength. He squeezed the metal bars of the fence. ‘Why is like this?’ he wondered. ‘Why can’t I have anything normal?! Friends and independence.’ Somehow, a sudden sound reached his ears and his head shot up. On the other side of the fence and across the road, roughly 30 feet away, there was a small boy standing in the Drakes’ yard. By Roy’s estimate, he couldn’t have been older than 7 or 8. He was holding on to his fence, much in the same way Roy was and staring at the red-head with the widest eyes. Roy’s brain stalled for a moment, then, very slowly, he lifted one of his hands to wave. After a few seconds, the boy waved back. Roy put a finger to his lips. The boy nodded again, almost solemnly. There was a yell from the boy’s side of the fence and he looked back. 

Roy moved as soon his head was turned. Using a move Dick had taught him, he threw himself backward and rolled across the ground into the bushes. In a move that wasn’t as smooth as Dick’s, he pushed himself up, then dropped behind a bush. Laying flat on his stomach, and hidden by the shadow of the late mooring, Roy could see under the bush without worry. He smiled a little as he watched the boy’s face once he turned back. It morphed from shock to confusion. The boy stood on the tips of his toes and craned his neck back and forth, clearly trying to figure out where Roy had gone. Someone yelled again and the boy half turned his body away from the fence. His eyes scanned the area almost methodically, but his face contorted into even tighter confusion. The yell came a third time and he was forced to leave. Roy watched him go until he disappeared over a small hill. 

‘That was risky!’ a voice that reminded Roy of Bruce said in the back of his mind. ‘What if he had recognized you!?’

“That kid would’ve been like 5 when I was all over the news,” Roy argued back as he got to his feet and walked back to the path. “Besides, all the pictures they had of me back then was of when I was 12. I look different now.” The words didn’t have a lot of conviction in them, but the voice did shut up. Roy continued the rest of his walk in silence, shivering every once in a while against the chill, but he wanted to be out here as long as possible. Anything to keep him from going stir crazy inside. 

By the time he got back to the manor, Alfred was waiting for him at the backdoor. “How was your walk, sir?”

“It was ok,” Roy replaced. He didn’t really feel any better, but the fresh air and excitement by the fence had been refreshing. 

“Your lunch is ready. Would you like to eat outside?”

Roy hesitated for a moment, then the wind kicked up a bit and he shivered. “It’s kind of cold. Can I eat inside?”

“Of course, sir. Would you like some hot cocoa with your lunch?”

“Sure, that’d be great.”

“Go sit down then, and I shall make some.”

“Ok.” Roy started eating his lunch and soon had a warm cup of hot chocolate to warm up his hands. After lunch, he wandered down to the Bat Cave and did maintenance on his trick arrows. Thankfully, this did actually occupy his mind. He needed to focus on electrical wiring and working with tiny screws and springs. Everything involved in these arrows required his total and focus attention. Once he’d made sure his arrows were in working order, he grabbed his sketchbook and a blueprint sheet to start working on a new one. ‘Knock-out gas arrow,’ he thought as he used a ruler to draw a life-size arrow shaft. ‘Ideally, I’d like it to attach to a wall and then disperse. Hm…maybe a magnet on the end.’ The new arrow presented enough challenges that he was able to stay distracted and forgot about his loneliness. Eventually, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs from the Manor. “Hey, Dick.”

“Hey,” Dick replied. He stood on his toes so he could peer over Roy’s shoulder better. “Another trick arrow?”

“Knock-out gas arrow.”

“I like it. It wouldn’t take them out like the taser arrow.”

“No, but I could take out an entire room.”

“True. Have fun. I have to go do my homework before I…leave.”

Roy tried to ignore the pang in his stomach. “Have fun.” He threw himself back into his arrow. The motivation allowed him to get all the way through the planning phase and soon he was digging through the bins of parts under his workbench. Bruce left pieces and random parts from building his and Dick’s gadgets for Roy to use on prototypes. He also grabbed an arrow that was missing the pointy head, then got to work. He hummed songs under his breath as he worked, carefully putting the pieces of the trick arrowhead together. He kept working, getting lost in his work and not paying any attention to the time. Eventually, Dick came back down to bring him upstairs for dinner. As they walked, his younger bother talked excitedly about his day. Roy could hear the smirk in his voice when he detailed how an older boy got paint all over his uniform during an art class. 

“If he’s a senior why is he in a freshman art class?” Roy asked as they entered the dining room. 

“Because he’s an idiot,” Dick answered. 

“Master Dick,” Alfred said in a warning voice. 

“It’s true, Alf.” They sat down and Alfred set their dinner plates down. “He always tries to steal things from my lunch and cheats off my tests in English.”

“True or not, that is not a nice way of talking about one of your classmates.”

Dick shrugged. “I don’t think it’s nice when he shoves me into the lockers.” 

“He shoves you into lockers?” Roy asked, a little concerned. 

“Yeah, and it almost tore my blazer last week. He acts like he’s so cool, but he’s the one still taking freshman classes.” He took a bite of his dinner. “So, I guess that’s one person your age that you’ve got one up on.”

“Thanks.” Small victories. Dick kept talking about his day all through dinner, so Roy didn’t notice that Bruce didn’t join them until he’d finished. ‘He must be working late.’ 

“I- I have to go downstairs and get dressed.” 

Roy nodded. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

“Totally. I’ll come to see you before I go to bed.” 

Roy finished the rest of his dinner just as he heard the front door open. Very quickly, he put his plate in the sink, then went straight upstairs. ‘I don’t really want to talk to Bruce,’ he thought as he shut himself in his room. He grabbed a handheld video game and started playing, putting on headphones so he could lose himself in the game. 

— — 

The game ended up being extremely useful and distracted him until Dick came home. His younger brother didn’t even bother knocking. Roy saw the door open from the top of his vision. He paused his game as Dick shut it again. “How was it?” 

“Good. All the sparring wasn’t the same without you. And everyone misses you. Even Artemis.”

“Really, she said that?”

“She didn’t say it, but she made a point to ask how you were before everyone else, including Kaldur, so I think you’ve grown on her. And speaking of Kaldur…” Dick produced a folded piece of paper and handed it to Roy. “A special delivery.”

“Thanks, bro.”

“You’re welcome. If you have a reply just make sure you give it to me before I leave tomorrow.”

“Will do.” 

“Night, bro.”

“Night.” After Dick left, Roy sat back and read Kaldur’s letter with a small smile on his face for the first time in days. 

— — 

The following three days passed in the same manner. It was all a mind-numbing blur for Roy, who was wishing that his two-week suspension from patrol would at least pass soon so he could have something to look forward to. He was working on his new trick arrow when Batman and Robin left for Mount Justice. Roy tried to ignore the churning feeling in his stomach as the sounds to the Bat Mobile disappeared. ‘It's not fair,’ he thought as he hollowed out a small core of the arrow shaft. “Bruce is being unfair.” He continued to work for several hours, determined to have his first prototype ready in two days. “I should ask Dick to help me test it. He likes watching me test them.” He was so lost in his work that when an alert beeped on the Bat-computer it actually made him jump. He nearly dropped his tool and had to scrambled to catch it again. He leaned over and looked at it, then the alert beeped again. He set the tool down, then ran over to the computer. A look of confusion crossed his face. “Police trying to contain large crowd at Star Labs?” He pulled up a newsfeed of the building but was evermore confused. “Why is there a crowd outside Star Labs-“ No sooner had he spoken than that large mass of people had become a riot. “Oh no.” He found a comm and put it in his ear. “Batman, there’s a r-“

“Arsenal!” Batman snapped back. “You are benched!”

“I know, but there’s a-“

“Arsenal. Not now. I’m dealing with something.”

Roy sighed. “Yes, Batman.” He dropped his hand and turned back to the newsfeed he’d pulled up. “There must be several hundred people. Gordon’s men won’t be able to calm them all down.” Roy bit his lip. ‘People could get hurt….’ After a few moments of contemplation, he made a decision and bolted from the computer to his suit. 

“Where are you going, sir?” Alfred asked him. 

“There’s a riot, Alfred. I have to help.”

“Master Roy, you are grounded-“

“But I’m an adult.” Roy stopped and looked at Alfred. “I’m an adult and I have to go help Gordon and his men. People could get hurt.”

Alfred studied him for a moment before he nodded. “Very well, sir. I shall remain down here in case I may prove you any assistance.”

“Thanks, Alfred.” Roy changed into his suit quickly and grabbed one of his pre-loaded quivers. He hopped on his bike and drove out of the cave, headed for Star Labs. ‘Why are they rioting?’ he thought. ‘The news report didn’t say. It was a little more focused on the fact that there was a riot.’ Whatever the reason, he had to go help the police make sure it was diffused safely. A cautious feeling in the back of his head warned him that Bruce was going to be angry with him. ‘But I still have to go. I have to help. I have to.’ By the time he arrived at the riot and saw that the police hadn’t managed to calm it down at all, he knew he’d made the right decision. 

Arsenal parked his bike in an alley and was about to grapple to a rooftop when a noise caught his ear. 

“Hurry it up,” someone said a little down the street on the others side the alley. 

Arsenal crept closer silently. ‘I know that voice…’

“What’s taking so long?”

‘Oliver!’ For a moment there was pure terror, then Arsenal swallowed and forced himself to stay still. He didn’t dare move from the deep shadow of the alley.

“No, that Bat’s not coming. Let me check.” There was a few seconds of silence and then, “Yeah, the sidekicks are all removed. They’re probably trying to figure things out on their end if I had to guess.” He was quiet for a few seconds. “I don’t care that Batman isn’t in Gotham, I can’t be here. So, hurry up.” Oliver’s voice got quiet after that and a few minutes later Arsenal heard a car driving away. The street was silent, so he counted to ten, then peeked out of the alley. Oliver was gone. 

Arsenal shivered. ‘He was so close to me…’ The sound of police sirens made him look back in the direction of the riot. ‘He’s gone now and I have a job to do.’ Arsenal took to the closest rooftop. He looked around for a moment, then pulled an arrow from his quiver. It was a taser arrow. He shot it at a street light. The arrow hit its target and there was a loud bang! The light bulb blew out. This distracted half the crowd, who stopped rioting long enough to look in the direction of the small explosion. The Gotham police seized on the calm to start breaking the crowd up. Arsenal pulled another arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bow. He shot out another street light, and then another one. 

Down on the ground, Commissioner Gordon saw the second light go out, then the third from the corner of his eyes. He frowned a little, then his eyes widened in understanding when he saw a red arrow shoot through the air and blow out another light. ‘He’s only doing every other one. Good thinking.’ Gordon looked back at the crowd and saw the exploding lights were drawing their attention and the riot itself seemed to be quieting down enough for his men to disperse the group. He snatched a bullhorn out of someone's hand and climbed up onto the roof of a nearby police cruiser. “Gotham Citizens,” he said. “Please disperse and go home.”

“What about our children?!” a man yelled. 

“Believe me, finding out what happened to the missing children’s our top priority! We will have every available officer trying to fire out what happened! Until then, I would suggest you go home in case your children return there.” He held his breath for a moment, then released it when people started to leave. ‘Thank God. We did not need a huge riot on top of missing kids.’ He climbed down off the cruiser and handed the bullhorn back. “I’ll head back to the office in a minute. For now, we need every single officer we have searching for any clues as to what happened.”

“Do you think we should call in the Bat?” the officer asked him. 

Gordon glanced up at the rooftop to his left. “I think we might already have some help in that department. Make sure my orders are passed along.”

“Yes, sir, Commissioner.”

Gordon nodded, then looked up at the rooftop again. He walked away from the street and found a fire escape on the side of the building and started climbing. When he reached the top he didn’t see anyone right away, “…Arsenal?”

“Yes?” Arsenal replied, stepping into the light as Gordon jumped a bit. 

“Why do you guys keeping doing that?” He sighed. “You were the one shooting out the street lights?”

“Yeah. It was the only thing I could think to do that would distract them long enough for your officers to break the crowd up.”

“It was a good move. A lot of people could’ve gotten hurt tonight, civilians and my men. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Commissioner. I’m glad I was able to help.”

“I’m hoping you could help me some more. Do you know why all the kids are missing?” 

Arsenal’s face contorted in confusion. “There are kids missing? Is that the reason they were rioting?”

“You don’t know? It seems like every kid in Gotham disappeared a few hours ago.”

“…A few hours ago?!”

Gordon nodded solemnly. “Every person under the age of 18. Did- Is Robin gone too?”

‘Oh, God, I hope not!’ Arsenal thought, a little panicked. He had to clench his fist to keep his hand from flying to his comm and trying to get ahold of his brother. ‘I need to hold it together in front of Gordon.’ He took a deep breath. “I’ll see what Batman knows Commissioner. We’ll do everything we can to get the missing kids home.”

“Good, I hope so.” Gordon hesitated for a couple of moments, then added, “My daughter is one of the missing children.”

Arsenal’s mouth thinned. “We’ll find them, Commissioner. You have my word.” 

Gordon simply nodded in reply. He watched as the vigilante ran to the other side of the rooftop, then jumped off and disappeared. 

As soon as Arsenal was back on his bike and sped back toward the Bat Cave. “A?” he said through his comm.

“Yes, Arsenal?” Alfred replied. 

“Can you get ahold of Batman and ask him where Robin is?”

“May I ask what is prompting this?”

“Just…please ask.” Arsenal had to force himself to not hold his breath as he waited for a reply. When he got it, Alfred’s voice was laced with worry and caution. 

“Batman has informed me that Robin, along with the rest of his Team, has disappeared.”

“So has every single kid in Gotham.”

“From where I’m sitting it appears this a worldwide phenomenon.”

“How-“ Arsenal was cut off by his comm beeping. His stomach twisted a little bit. ‘I didn’t think he’d catch on that quickly.’ He sighed and he put his hand to it. “Batman?”

“Arsenal, explain,” Batman growled. 

“I- I went into Gotham to help the police stop a riot.”

“You-“

“I had to do it! There were so many angry parents there, Batman. It could’ve easily gotten out of hand and Gordon’s men would’ve been in over there heads and way outnumbered and someone could’ve’ gotten hurt. I had to go help.” Again, he had to resist the urge to hold his breath as he waited for an answer. 

“Go home and I’ll deal with you later.”

“Yes, Batman.” Arsenal let his hand fall and went straight back to the Bat Cave. ‘I’m in so much trouble. But I had to help. I had to.’ When he got back, Alfred was waiting for him. Roy took off his mask and walked over to the computer. “Has Batman give you an update on Robin?”

“Merely that they have a lead on how to reverse this,” Alfred replied. “And I was told that you were to go straight to your room. Master Bruce will talk to you when he gets home.”

“…Ok.”

Alfred raised his eyebrows. “Are you displeased with this, sir? You had to know going out would get you in trouble.”

“I know that it’s just… He’s sending me to my room.” Alfred waited for him to go on. “But… I’m an adult.”

“…Yes, sir. Those are both accurate statements.”

“But… If I’m not a kid, can Bruce keep telling me what to do like this? I- I mean, I know he feeds me and gives me a home, but…does he really have to treat me the way he treats Dick? Dick’s 13. I’m- I’m an adult.”

Alfred’s lips thinned for a moment. “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you, Master Roy. I think this is something you would need to talk to Master Bruce about.”

“But am I right?”

“…Yes, sir. I’m inclined to think that you are. Now, I would suggest you go upstairs. Master Bruce will be home when he can.”

Roy nodded. “Right.” He left to get changed. ‘I shouldn’t say anything, but…it’s not fair that he keeps treating me like a child. I’m not a child anymore. I’m not.’

— — 

Robin sat down on the floor next to Aqualad. “Tired?” he asked the Atlantean. 

“It has been a long night,” Aqualad admitted. “Zatanna fell asleep on the couch. Batman says they will give her a room here.”

“Good. She’ll have Conner and M’gann around. They’ll keep her company.”

“Yes. I suppose we won, but…it feels like such a bittersweet victory.”

“I know. I keep thinking that if we’d really won Zatanna…she wouldn’t have lost her only parent.”

Aqualad put his hand on Robin’s shoulder. “I know.” 

Robin’s hand moved down to his utility belt, then he suddenly remembered something. He opened one of the compartments and slipped a finger into the lining. He pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper and handed it to Aqualad. “Here. I meant to give this to you earlier, but Batman wouldn’t leave us alone…then everything kind of went south.”

“Thank you. I could use this. If Arsenal were here his presence would make me feel better.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“At least you get to see him when you go home.”

Robin gave Aqualad a sympathetic look. “He misses you, you know. He’s so depressed without the Team.”

“And yet, Batman keeps him away.”

“B is…he’s stubborn, Kaldur. Convincing him to change his mind is next to impossible. I don’t think I’m even capable of doing it right now.”

“Who is?”

“I wish I knew. But, think positive. Read Arsenal’s letter, then when I come back again tomorrow I’ll pick up yours.”

“Thank you, Robin. I do not know what we would do without you.”

“Hey, I can’t take all the credit.” Robin got to his feet. “I’m just the messenger.”

Kaldur felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward a little bit as he unfolded the letter. 

— — 

It was several hours before Bruce and Dick came home. Dick made it to Roy’s room first, but Bruce put his hand on the teen’s arm to hold him back. He shook his head, then went inside. He found Roy under his blankets, reading a book. 

When the door opened Roy lifted his head. “Bruce…” he said. 

“Roy.” Bruce walked closer and sighed, rubbing his face. “What were you thinking?!”

“That Commissioner Gordon needed help.”

“You can’t just go out into Gotham alone!”

“Why not? I- I’ve handled cases alone and they all ended ok. I’m fine. I stopped the riot before people got hurt!”

“Roy, you’re a child! You’re not capable of making these kinds of decisions.” 

Roy frowned in confusion. ‘But I’m not a child…’ He shook his head. This was a ’pick your battles’ situation and there was something more pressing to talk about. “You didn’t tell me when Dick went missing.”

“I didn’t want to worry you. You didn’t need the stress.”

“He’s my brother!”

“I’m not arguing with you, Roy. I’m adding a day to your grounding. And you’re not to step foot in the Cave for two days. Understood?”

“Yes, Bruce.” 

Bruce nodded and left his room. 

Dick slipped in and ran up to Roy’s bed. Roy wrapped his arms around his younger brother before the teen could say anything. “I didn’t know you were gone,” Roy muttered after a few moments. 

“I know. I heard,” Dick replied. “But I’m back now and everything’s…ok.”

“Ok?”

“You remember Zatanna?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, its kind of long story but her dad is…gone.”

“He died?!”

“…Essentially, I guess so.”

“Oh man. Poor Zatanna.”

“I know.” Dick climbed under the blanket and cuddled close to Roy. “I feel so bad. I feel like there’s more I should be able to do, you know? But I-“

“Just be there for her.” Roy wrapped his arms around Dick and pulled him close. “That’s all you can do.”

“Wish…I could…do more…” Dick’s words got quieter as his exhaustion from the last five hours took over and he fell asleep against his older brother. 

Roy slipped away only to turn off the light, then rejoined Dick. He didn’t go to sleep though. He held Dick and stared up at the dark ceiling, deep in thought. ‘Bruce said he didn’t want to argue with me. I was….arguing? I just wanted to point out eh obvious and…defend itself.’ Something strange began to blossom in his chest. ‘I was defending myself. I can defend myself and argue with Bruce. I couldn’t do that when I was 14. This- This is proof I’m not a child anymore.’ He frowned. ‘And then there was…Oliver. I should tell Bruce, but I can’t. Bruce will flip. He’ll never let me go back out as Arsenal. Besides, Ollie sounded so scared that Bruce would show up. I don’t think he’d try showing up in the city again.’ It gave him a warm sense of pride in his chest that he was able to identify that. ‘There’s also the question of why he was in Gotham and how he knew what was going on with the Team.’ It made Roy’ stomach twist a little bit. ‘Ollie’s up to something. He knows about the Team and he’s working with someone against us.’ He pulled Dick even closer to his own body. ‘There’s something weird going on here and I don’t like it.’ 

But there wasn’t anything he could do for that night, so Roy closed his eyes and tried to sleep. After all, he had all day tomorrow to think about it.


	33. Coldhearted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for another update! Enjoy!

In the end, Roy went against his own initial judgment and wrote down his thought process on what was going on. He sat cross-legged on the floor with a notepad open in his lap. He wrote ‘OLIVER’ on top, then drew an arrow underneath that so it pointed to the words ‘SPYING ON TEAM?’ 

“How is he doing it though?” Roy wondered out loud. There were so many potential answers that he decided to write them out and just deduce his way through the options. So, next to the first things he wrote, he wrote his options. 

‘TRAITOR ON TEAM.

‘CAMERAS IN MJ

‘FOLLOWING TEAM.’

Roy sat cross-legged and stared at the first option on the notepad. “It’s the most obvious choice….but how likely? It’s obviously not Dick. Wally and Kal are unlikely, given the….horrible injuries Oliver gave them when he was looking for me. Conner or Megan seemed unlikely as well. Neither of them has any reason to trust Oliver or work with him.” Which left Artemis. “…I don’t know… She’s an archer, she wears green-“ And she was hiding something. “She could be hiding anything. It doesn’t mean she’s with Oliver. Besides, Dinah and Bruce have both vouched for her and they wouldn’t have done that if she worked with Ollie.” Unless they didn’t know. “Bruce knows everything. Besides, Artemis lives in Gotham and Oliver was clearly nervous about being in the city.” 

Which raise another question, because why would Oliver be in Gotham and not try to come after him?

“One problem at a time.” Roy crossed off the first option. “One at a time.” Second option: Cameras in Mount Justice. “Wally did mention that villains have discovered its location before. But the League updated the security and how would he have even gotten in? Plus, Bruce wouldn’t have let me spend so much time there if it was that easy to sneak in.” 

So he crossed out the second option. 

“Ok, he’s following the Team.” This seemed like the most unlikely of all. “We would’ve noticed him following us. Besides, yesterday the Team was in…another world, kind of, and he was definitely here in Gotham. Oliver isn’t capable of being in two places at once.”

He crossed out the third option. 

Roy stared at the notepad with his brow furrowed and his teeth nibbling lightly on his pencil. He mulled the question over in his head for a few more minutes before moving on. He wrote ‘WORKING WITH SOMEONE’ and drew another arrow from Oliver’s name to it. “Who would be working with him? Why would they-” He froze for a moment. “…Why would he be in Gotham, just hanging around in an alley outside Star Labs…right, where a riot happened. And I know they weren’t involved in the disappearance of the kids, because that was Klarion. So what was he doing there?” His body instinctively moved forward to go down to the Bat Cave, then he remembered he’d been banned from going down there for two days. “But Dick hasn’t.” He could just ask his brother to look into Star Labs and see if anything had been taken. Because obviously, something had to have been taken. Why else would they have broken in? Whatever the reason, he needed Dick to get home from school so he could find out. 

In order to distract himself, Roy threw himself into a workout that lasted for hours. He ran, worked on strength training, acrobatics, acrobatics while shooting arrows, and practiced his fighting on dummies. Every few hours Alfred brought him water, which would quickly disappear. Roy didn’t stop his intensive workout until Dick came home from school and wandered into the gym. 

“Staying busy?” Dick asked casually as he landed against the wall. 

“Trying…” Roy huffed. He finally stopped and sat down on the mat. He took a long, deep drink of his water, then looked at Dick. “Are you busy?”

“No.” Dick sat down across from him. “Why?”

“I need you to do me a favor.”

“Another letter for Kaldur?”

“No. Well, yes, but I haven’t written it yet. This isn’t about that though. I need you to look something up on the computer…downstairs.”

“What?”

“I need you to find out if Star Labs here in Gotham was broken into last night and if anything was taken.”

“Why do you think something was taken?”

“…When I went to stop the riots…I-I heard Oliver.”

“What?”

“I heard him. Oliver was in Gotham last night. He was working with someone who I think broke into Star Labs.”

“Why would he be in Gotham? I thought he’d be too scared to come back here after Bruce beat him up the way he did.”

“Me too, but he still seemed scared. When he was talking to whoever he was working with, he mentioned that he didn’t care if Batman wasn’t in Gotham, he wasn’t supposed to be there.”

Dick smirked a little. “Yeah, he’s still scared.” The smirk morphed into a small frown. “Why was he so sure Batman wasn’t in Gotham?”

“…Because he might be spying on the Team.”

“What?!”

Roy nodded. “I overhear him say that you guys were still trying to work things out on your end. Somehow, he knew you guys had been separated from the adults and that Batman was busy trying to solve that.” 

“What has he been up to?”

“I don’t know, but that’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

Dick nodded. “Ok. Let me go change out of my uniform, then I’ll go downstairs and see what I can figure out.”

“Ok. And Dick?” Roy grabbed his brother’s wrist as he stood up. “Maybe…don’t tell Bruce?”

“Really?’

Roy nodded. “Whatever Oliver’s up to, I don’t think it has a lot to do with getting to me. He could’ve used the riot to lure me out and attack, but he didn’t. Bruce is already keeping locked up in here, if he found out Oliver was in Gotham I’ll lose the last outlet of freedom I have.”

The words ‘locked up’ and ‘freedom’ stood out in Dick’s mind and made him simultaneously angry at Bruce and sympathetic for Roy. However, these combinations of emotions convince him that Roy was right. “I won’t tell Bruce.”

“Thank you.” Roy let go and watched Dick leave. ‘I have to know what Oliver is doing,’ he thought as he stood up and headed for his room. ‘If he’s not going after me, who else could he be trying to hurt?’ Artemis’ face immediately popped up in his mind and Roy grimaced. ‘Potentially. I won’t let it happen though. I-I can’t.’ The thought of being near Oliver sent waves of anxiety and dread through his body, but there was also determination. ‘I can’t let Oliver hurt someone else the way he hurt me. I need to figure out what he’s up to.’ 

‘It could change Bruce’s mind,’ a voice in his head said. ‘What better way to show Bruce how capable you are than by solving this case?’

‘Am I capable?’ It kind of seemed like it. He had solved cases and completed missions on his own. And he’d been close to Oliver without being caught and he hadn’t had a panic attack. ‘I’m at least capable of being on the Team.’ Roy nodded as he grabbed a change of clothes, then moved to the bathroom to shower. ‘If I can solve this case and show it to Bruce, he’ll see how grown up and capable I am. I just need to prove it.’ 

After a cleansing and relaxing shower, Roy sat on his bed while he waited for Dick to return. He distracted himself by looking back over his notes and going through his logic again; just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. 

Dick came into his room surprisingly soon. That, combined with the teen’s clearly remorseful face, caused Roy’s stomach to flip in dread. 

“Bad news, bro,” Dick said as he hopped onto the bed. 

“What?”

“I couldn’t find anything.”

“What do you mean you couldn’t find anything?”

“I hacked into Star Labs as far as I could, but nothing was missing as far as I could figure out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. If Oliver and whoever he worked with wanted to take something, it was so hush-hush that Star Labs hasn’t reported it missing.” 

“…Alright. Thanks.”

“No problem, bro. Maybe there’s another angle you can come at this from.”

“Yeah…maybe.”

“….Are you sure it was Oliver you heard?”

Roy frowned at him. “What do you mean? Of course, I’m sure it was him. I’d know his voice anywhere!”

“Ok, ok.” Dick put his hands up in surrender. “I mean… I was thinking about it and there’s basically no way Oliver could be spying on the Team. How could he?”

“I- I don’t know, but-“

“Roy…” Dick bit his lip for a moment in clear contemplation. “There’s just no plausible way for that to be happening. Right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then isn’t it more likely you thought it was Oliver, but it wasn’t him?”

“But, he said-“

“Roy, lot’s of people have gotten on Batman’s bad side. It doesn’t have to be Oliver. 

Roy looked at his blanket for several seconds. “I guess…”

Dick reached out for his brother, but Roy moved his hand away. “It just doesn't make logical sense Roy.” 

“You think I’m crazy?”

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy, but I just think you misheard.” Dick looked at his watch, then glanced around, almost nervously. “I have to go to Mount Justice. We’re helping Zatanna move into the mountain.”

“Ok. I’ll see you later tonight.”

“I-I don’t know what time I’ll be back, but if you’re up I’ll stop by. If not, I’ll see you before I leave for school tomorrow.”

Roy tried not to show how far his heart fell on his face. “Ok. I’ll see you later. Tell everyone I said hi.”

“I will.” 

As Dick left, Roy forced himself to focus on his notes. The overwhelming feeling of being alone started to close in on his mind. “No. No, I won’t be alone. I’ll figure out what Oliver’s up to so Bruce will let me go back to the Team. I have to.” In that vein, he spent the next few hours looking over his it's and pacing, trying to find another angle to come at the case from. He didn’t care what Dick said, he knew it was Oliver. ‘Dick’s right that he can’t possibly be spying on the Team, so maybe someone else was feeding him information. Klarion, maybe?’ He shook his head. ‘Even if I’m wrong about him spying on the Team, I’m right about him being in Gotham and I have to figure out how.’ 

This was the state he was in when Alfred came to his room around dinner time. “Master Roy,” Alfred said as he knocked. “It’s dinner time, sir.”

“Ok, Alfred.” Roy hid his notepad in his desk and left his room to follow Alfred down to the dining room. “Is Dick home?”

“I’m afraid not, Master Roy. Master Dick is eating with his team tonight.”

“…Oh.” 

A look of sympathy crossed Alfred’s face. “I’m sure he will be home soon, sir.”

Roy nodded. He sat down in the dining room and stared at his food. “Thanks, Alfred.”

“You’re welcome, Master Roy.” 

With Bruce still not home from the office and Dick at Mount Justice, Roy was left to eat alone. Periodically, Alfred checked on him, but very little food was eaten. Roy pushed the food around his plate, letting the various elements mix together. After nearly an hour, in which Roy had eaten less than half his dinner, he heard the front door opened and then closed. ‘Bruce is home…’ he thought. Part of him burned at the thought that he didn’t have anything to give him on Oliver. ‘Also known as, I have no way to prove to him I’m capable of doing things on my own.’ It was starting to feel more like Dick was right and Roy had imagined the whole thing. “Hi, Bruce.”

“Hi, Roy,” Bruce replied. “How was your day?”

“…Same as it usually is.”

“I’m glad that you’re keeping busy.” 

‘Yeah. Busy,’ he thought. ‘And i”ll be busy tomorrow-‘ The thought about the next day made him stop suddenly. “Bruce?”

“Yes?”

“Tomorrow is Wednesday.”

“Yes…”

“So…am I still having therapy?”

Bruce hesitated for a moment. His immediate response was to say no and claim Roy didn’t need it, but he stopped just short of saying that. ‘I can’t say that. If he stops going to therapy and his mental health suddenly spiked downward…’ Bruce nodded. “Yes, you will still have therapy. I’ll…think of something.”

“Ok.” Roy went back to his dinner. ‘At least I’ll still be able to talk to Black Canary. She’s better than nothing.’

— — 

The following evening, Roy could barely sit still. He still hadn’t heard anything from Bruce about his therapy and he was anxious for an answer. “I could really use Dinah to talk to right now.” He sighed and ran one of his hands through his hair briefly. “I-“ There was a knock on his door, which caused him to jump. “Come in.”

“Master Roy,” Alfred said as the door opened. “You are supposed to go downstairs to the cave, sir.”

“The cave?” It was the second day of his banishment from the space. His punishment could technically be up. 

“Yes, sir.”

“Ok.” Roy left his room and made his way downstairs to the cave. ‘Why am I supposed to go down here? Maybe Bruce is taking me to Mount Justice?’ He shook his head as he slipped past the grandfather clock and down the stairs. ‘Maybe-‘ He stopped on the stairs when he saw Black Canary standing there. Roy smiled and practically ran down the rest of the stairs. “Dinah.”

“Hi, Roy,” Dinah smiled. 

“I’m surprised you’re here.”

“So am I, to be honest.”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Should we…sit or?”

“Not here. Come…over here.” Roy showed Dinah toward the back of the cave and into his archery range. 

“Is this where you practice?”

“Yes. I like being in here. It makes me feel…calm.”

“Why?”

Roy shrugged as he put his hands in his pockets. “It’s archery. Despite everything…it’s like the one thing that’s mine. No one can take it away.” 

“Is that how you’ve been feeling? Like something’s been taken from you?” 

“What else should I think?” Roy sat on the ground and Dinah joined him. “I’m trapped in the manor day in and day out. I’m cut off Kaldur and my friends. Bruce thinks that I’m not capable of taking care of myself. What else do I have besides my archery?”

“Dick.”

“He’s hardly ever here. I can’t blame him, either.”

“Bruce says he’s doing what does because he wants to protect you.”

“I know, but…does it mean I have to be locked up in here all the time?”

“Unfortunately, Bruce is your mentor and guardian as far as the League is concerned, so there’s no much I can do about it. Have you told Bruce this is how you feel?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“…I don’t know.” 

“What possible reasons are there? Are you scared of Bruce?”

“I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t think he’s going to hurt me or throw me out.” It felt weird admitting it out loud to someone else. Like giving up some kind of crucial information about himself. ‘Dinah is my friend though. I can trust her.’ 

“That’s good. You feel safe with him then?”

“Yeah, I do. I feel safe with Bruce.”

Dinah let out a small breath. ‘That’s a relief at least.’ She nodded for Roy’s benefit. “What have you been doing since Halloween?”

“A lot of nothing.”

“I would like to hear about it.”

“You would?”

“Yes.”

Roy smiled a little bit. “Well, I’ve been making marginal progress in learning Spanish-“

— — 

Three days later, Dick’s eyebrows raised when Roy came down to breakfast. ‘He’s been in a better mood the last couple of days.’ the teen thought as Roy sat down. ‘ Dick’s surprise must’ve shown on his face because Roy gave him a look of confusion. 

“What?” Roy asked. 

“Nothing. You’re just…different.”

“Different?”

“Yeah. You’ve been happier.”

“I’ve felt a little better after I talked to Back Canary.”

“Really?’

Roy nodded. “She just…listened, you know? It was nice to be able to just talk to someone.”

Dick glanced at Bruce, who, predictably, wasn’t paying attention to them. “Isn’t that great, Bruce? Roy likes having someone to talk to.”

“Hmmm,” Bruce hummed. 

‘He’s not listening.’ 

“Master Dick,” Alfred said, coming in from the kitchen. “It appears they have canceled school for today.”

“Yes!”

“Do you want to play video games since you’re home today?” Roy asked him.

“Uh…” Dick looked down at his pate. “I- I don’t think I’ll be able to do that.”

“Why not?”

“Wally’s birthday is today.”

“It is?”

“Yeah. We’re….we’re having a party for him at Mount Justice today.”

“Oh.” 

A pang of guilt went through Dick when he saw the way Roy’s face fell. “It’s a really small thing and it was Wally’s idea anyway, you know how he is-“

“It’s fine, Dick. Really. Go, have fun. Tell- Tell Wally I said happy birthday.”

“I will.” Dick gave Bruce a look, but Bruce got up suddenly and let the table. ‘This has been a pleasant morning.’ He tried to finish the rest of his breakfast as quickly as possible without earning the look of eternal disapproval from Alfred. As soon as he finished, he put his plate in the kitchen, then gave Roy one last look of apology before he headed for the cave. 

Roy sighed. “It’s just a stupid party,” he said to Alfred as the butler brought him a cup of hot chocolate. “Right? There’s nothing special about it.”

“Have you considered asking Master Bruce if you can go?” Alfred asked after a moment. 

“I don’t see why. He’d just say no.”

“It never hurts to ask.”

Roy looked at his plate. “Do you think I’d be able to convince him?”

“…No, sir. I don’t.”

“Didn’t think so.” Roy put his plate in the sink, then picked up his mug of hot chocolate. “I’m going to read in the library.”

“Very good, sir. I’ll come to check on you in a little bit. Perhaps we could play a game of chess this afternoon.”

“Yeah. That’d be great.”

“Very good, sir.”

Roy nodded as he left. ‘It’s just a stupid party. I don’t need to go. I really don’t.’

Meanwhile, Dick ran to catch up with Bruce. “Bruce,” he said as he stopped in front of his guardian, forcing Bruce to stop as well. “We’re having Wally’s birthday party today at Mount Justice.”

“Ok,” Bruce replied. He’d already known that. 

“Can Roy come?”

“No.”

“But it would make Wally happy, and it’s his big day.”

“No, Dick.” Bruce walked around the teen, but Dick kept close. 

“It’ll just be for a couple hours and then he can come straight home.”

“No.”

“But-“

“Dick.” Bruce gave his younger son a half-glare. “I said no. Roy’s not leaving the Manor.”

“Bruce-“

“The weather may affect the zeta tubes. You should get ready and leave.” Bruce left for his study before Dick could say anything else. 

‘Jerk,’ Dick thought in a huff as he headed upstairs to grab his sweater and sunglasses. ‘Why can’t he just go easy on Roy? The poor guy just wants friends. Not everyone can be a lonely hermit like Bruce for the rest of their lives.’

— — 

“Recognized, Kid Flash, B-03,” the zeta tube at Mount Justice announced later that afternoon. Wally jogged out into the main cavern of their headquarters. “Zeta system now offline due to extreme atmospheric conditions.” 

“Woo, I just made it,” Wally remarked as he walked toward the kitchen. “Be a shame if I missed my own-“ He walked in and the lights turned on. 

“Surprise!” everyone yelled. 

“What?! Aww, you guys… You shouldn’t have.”

“Right!” Robin scoffed. “Not like you were hinting for days or anything.”

“At least Arsenal’s birthday party was an actual surprise,” Artemis muttered. Conner nodded in agreement. 

As Wally walked closer, Megan put a party hat on his head and guided him to sit on the floor in front of the coffee table. “We made two cakes,” she said proudly. 

“Awesome!’ Wally replied. “What’ll you guys eat?”

“We’ll split the cupcake. Make a wish.” 

“Way ahead of you.” Wally thought for half a second, then blew the candles out. Everyone cheese and clapped for him when he did. Wally smiled slyly at Megan. “You know, if I tell you my wish, it won’t come true. But if you guess….” Megan held out a piece of cake. “Nope. Guess again.” Robin rolled his eyes behind his shades. “Nope, guess again.” Megan smiled and kissed him on the forehead. 

“Happy birthday.”

Robin smirked as he sat on the couch behind his friend. “Smooth moves, KF,” he remarked as he snatched the piece of cake from Wally’s hands. 

“Hey!” Wally protested. Megan soon gave him a replacement. “Hey Rob, if I try to tell Bats that my wish was for Arsenal to be here and celebrate with us, you think he’d go for it?”

“No. I already tried convincing him to let Arsenal come today, but the answer was no. Several times.”

“Well, the party would be better with him here.” 

The party moved on and everyone was standing around talking for a while when Robin noticed Zatanna hanging around by herself. He grabbed a piece of cake and brought it over to her. “Are you settling in ok?” he asked gently. 

“Yeah,” Zatanna remarked as she accepted the cake. “Just like home.”

“I know this is all very new and intimidating, but I promise you…someday…” he tried off a little bit as he noticed Wally shoving a whole piece of cake into his mouth with his hand. “You’ll get used to watching Wally eat.”

“Think we should tell him?” Artemis asked as she walked over and nodded at Wally. 

“You’re getting warmer babe,” Wally told Megan as she picked up one of the cakes. “But I can make you warmer still.”

“He is the only one who doesn’t know,” Robin conceded. 

“Then please, allow me.” Robin tried not to smirk as Artemis walked over to Wally. They watched as she sat down behind him on the couch and whispered something in his ear. The speedster’s shocked face turned to Megan and Conner, where the former was feeding her boyfriend a piece of cake. 

“Awww, man,” Wally moaned. Robin cackled a little, only to be interrupted, predictably, by Batman. 

“Attention Team,” the Dark Knight’s voice said over the speakers in the room. “Suit up. Polar stealth. Mission briefing in five.” 

‘Party’s over,’ Robin thought as he followed Kaldur to their suits. ‘Oh well. Now Roy’s not missing as much.’ 

— — 

Back in Gotham, Roy was working on his trick arrows again after an earlier, unsuccessful attempt at reading. He had his headphones in, allowing him to listen to music as he worked. After some testing, he’d figured out that if he blasted it at the top volume it felt less lonely; even if only a little bit. (There was also an added bonus of being able to ignore Bruce.) Roy had his music turned up so loud that he didn’t notice Bruce was talking to the Team until he saw movement from the corner of his eye. Curious, Roy paused the music and took his headphones out. 

“—stealth. Mission Briefing in five,” Batman said before cutting the transmission. 

“Is the Team going on a mission?” Roy asked. 

“Yes. They will be assisting the League in fighting the ice villains who are creating this blizzard weather.”

“…Helping the League?” Roy felt a stab of jealousy for Dick and his friends. He practically jumped to his feet as Batman stood and started to walk away. “Can I help?”

Batman froze and looked at him. “No.”

“But-“

“You’re still grounded.”

“But if it’s an emergency don’t you need as many hands as possible? And I don’t have to work with the Team, I could just work with you and Robin. It’ll be just like patrol just…colder.”

“No, Roy.”

“Please?” Roy was desperate for something to do. ‘Arsenal is all I have, I need that back.’ He held Batman’s masked gaze. “I’m so bored and restless-“

“You should’ve thought about that before you snuck out with Kaldur.”

Roy almost flinched. “But I’m already off the Team, do I really need to be benched-“

“Being benched is your punishment. Pulling you off the Team is a result of you proving to have poor judgment and Kaldur not looking out for your safety like I thought he would.”

“Batman-“

“I don’t have time to argue with you! The answer is no! Now go upstairs! You’re not to come down here until the mission is over so way I know you won’t try to sneak out.”

“…Yes, Batman.” Roy’s head dropped as he walked slowly up the stairs with his shoulder slumped. He could hear Batman readying something as he walked. When he stepped out of the grandfather clock he ran into Alfred in Bruce’s study. 

“Is something wrong, Master Roy?” Alfred asked when he saw the despondent look on Roy’s face. 

‘Everything,’ Roy thought. Not feeling up to talking, he merely shook his head. 

“Well, Master Bruce radioed me to talk downstairs. When I come back I shall make you some more hot chocolate.”

“Ok. Thanks, Alf,” Roy croaked. He left the study and went to the library. He ended up curled in a ball in the window seat on the far side of the room. It was so white outside that he could only see about a foot from the window. Roy let his head fall onto the cold glass and stayed like that. The cold was irritating to his skin after a few minutes, but he still didn’t move. There wasn’t anything in particular on his mind, he just stared out at the world while despair spiraled within him. Eventually, he heard the door open and close. He still didn’t move as near silent footsteps walked toward him stopped next to the window seat. There was a small clink of metal on a table, then someone was rubbing his back of his shoulder gently. “Hi, Alfred.”

“You shouldn’t lay against the window like that, sir,” Alfred said. “You’ll get sick.” Roy shrugged. “That is not something to shrug at. Sit up, if you please.” 

Roy did so and pulled his legs closer to his chest. Alfred wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, then gave him a cup of hot chocolate. “Two in one day, huh?”

“I thought you could use some cheering up.”

“Thanks.” 

Alfred sat on the window seat as well with his own cup. The two of them lapsed into silence for a while. Roy went back to gazing out the window, not even sipping his hot chocolate. “He does care about you.” Roy looked at him. “Master Bruce may not say it in so many words, but he cares for you very deeply.”

“He’s got a strange way of showing it.” Roy wasn’t sure where the comment even came from, but it felt true. 

“Unfortunately, that’s simply the way he is. He only wants to protect you.”

“I know but…is there a line between protecting and…controlling?” It made his heart race to ask, but the detective in him was putting too many pieces together.

Alfred was quiet for a moment. “Yes, Master Roy. I would say there is a line between protecting and controlling.”

“And controlling is bad, right? Dinah taught me that abuse is about having control over the victim. That’s why Oliver was so strict with everything I did. Because he wanted to control me.”

“That is a fair assessment.”

“Then, where’s the line? When does protecting become controlling?”

Once again, Alfred went silent for a moment. “I think, in this case, that is for you to decide, Master Roy.”

“Me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“How?”

“Do not sell yourself, short, Master Roy. You are highly intelligent and think well in analytics.” Very much like Bruce. “Only you will know when protective behavior crosses the line and starts to feel like controlling behavior.”

“What- What should I do? When the behavior does cross that line, what should I do about it?”

“…I believe the best course of action would be to voice your opinion on the subject. You should always speak up if you feel mistreated.”

“I don’t think I could do that.”

“You can, and you will. I have the utmost faith that you will find the confidence and words when you need them.”

Roy smiled a little bit. “Thanks, Alfred.”

“Of course, sir.”


	34. Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting intense. Enjoy the next chapter and let me know what you think!

Thankfully, finally, Roy’s two-week bench from Arsenal was finally up three days later. He spent the entire day nervously moving around the manor, unable to sit still. Even when he was doing maintenance on his trick arrows, his feet tapped off the floor almost constantly. ‘I hope Bruce lets me go back out tonight,’ he thought as he put the arrows back; satisfied they were in working order. ‘I really hope so.’ 

Dick and Alfred caught on to Roy’s anticipation easily.

“Bruce better let Roy patrol tonight,” Dick remarked to Alfred as Roy wandered past the dining room. He seemed to be wandering aimlessly around the manor ever since Dick had gotten home from school. “I think he’ll explode if he can’t go out.”

“I agree,” Alfred replied as he placed a glass of water down in front of the teen. “Master Roy is young and motivated for action. Being idle simply isn’t in his nature.”

‘Which is ironic considering how idle his life has been lately.’ Dick took a drink of his water. “Do you think Bruce will let Roy go out on patrol tonight?”

“I can’t say for certain, but I see no reason why not. Master Roy has served his punishment dutifully. It’s only fair Master Bruce let him return to his vigilante activities.”

“I think he’s been punished twice over with Bruce taking him off the Team.”

“Master Bruce did not do that with the intent to punish Master Roy.”

“Whether or not he intended it, that’s what it is.”

“Indeed, Master Dick.” Alfred’s mouth thinned a little when Roy wandered past the dining room again. Not wanting the young man to keep wandering around, he left the room and stopped Roy as he started wandering down the hall again. “Perhaps you’d like to go outside, sir. I think some fresh air might do some good to calm your nerves.”

“You’re right,” Roy nodded. “I’ll go for a walk outside.”

“Wear a jacket, sir. It’s chilly outside.”

“I will.” Once Roy had shoes and a jacket, he left the manor and started walking through the grounds. He shoved his hands into his pockets to protect them from the biting wind. ‘I really want to go out tonight. It’s been two weeks, plus the extra day. Bruce should let me go tonight.’ Roy took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air. It didn’t have the same effect as hot air did, but it still carried the scents of the outdoors. ‘Why does it get so cold in Gotham?’ Roy wondered as he shivered. ‘Why would anyone want to live somewhere where it gets cold at all?’ Vaguely, he was aware that the sentiment could’ve applied to the desert as well, but he justified it as being different. The heat was far better than the cold. Roy didn’t try to go near the fence, (avoidance of the boy he’d seen last time), so he simply took a normal loop around the manor grounds. It was close to an hour and a half before Roy finally made it back to the manor. 

“Oh, good,” Dick said when he Roy walked and took his jacket off. “I don’t have to track you down. Enjoy your walk?”

“I’m still not a fan of the cold,” Roy remarked as he hung his coat up.

“It’s still only November, Roy. It’s not that cold yet.”

“Says you.”

Dick shrugged. “Not my fault you’re a cold-blooded, reptile.” He smirked at Roy’s offended face. “Come on, dinner’s ready.”

Roy followed Dick back to the dining room and sat down at the table with him. ‘Bruce still isn’t home,’ he thought as he eyed the empty chair at the head of the table. ‘He’ll be home soon.’ Part of him was nervous to bring up the topic, but it was overridden by the excitement about the chance to go on patrol. He started eating his dinner, trying to force his hand from bouncing off his leg. Roy ate his dinner and focused on keeping his free hand still instead of listening for the sound of the door. It was so successful at this endeavor, that when the door did open and close, it took a moment for him to realize what had happened. When his brain comprehended the sound, his head shot up. 

“Slow,” Dick advised. He put his hands up by his eyes, then lowered them slowly. “Don’t ambush Bruce. Wait until he sits down and then ask him.”

“I know, I know.” 

“Hi, Dick. Hi, Roy,” Bruce said as he walked into the room. 

“Hi, Bruce.”

“Hey, B,” Dick replied. 

Roy waited with barely restrained patience as Bruce sat down with them and Alfred brought him his food. He counted to 100 five times before finally pausing in his eating. “Hey, Bruce?”

“Hm?” Bruce hummed. 

“So…I- I released that…you know…my two-week grounding is up today.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.” Roy glanced at Dick, who nodded encouragingly. “So…can I go on patrol tonight?”

Bruce didn’t answer right away. The lack of response prompted Dick to glance at him from the corner of his eye, almost warningly. Which Bruce noticed. “Yes, you can patrol with me tonight.” If he noticed the smile on Roy’s face he didn’t comment on it. 

‘He’s so happy,’ Dick thought as he refocused back on his own dinner. ‘I wish he had things in his life, other than Arsenal.’ Dick loved being Robin and wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world, but he also couldn’t imagine Robin being the only thing he had to look forward to day-in and day-out. ‘It just…isn’t right. Does Bruce really think he can just keep Roy locked in the manor indefinitely?’ Whatever Bruce’s intentions, Dick was at least happy that Roy had something to look forward to now. 

After dinner, Roy could barely walk inside the Manor as he put his plate in the sink, then made his way down to the Bat Cave. He smiled widely as he started selecting arrows to put in his quiver. When Bruce came down to the cave, Roy could barely contain his excitement. Finally, it was time to suit up. ‘Something to do!’ he thought happily as he put his suit on. Somewhere in the back of his mind, there was a voice commenting on how excited he was to patrol, and how excited he used to get when Oliver would let him go outside. ‘Shut up!’ Roy snapped at the voice. ‘It’s different. Oliver was purposefully keeping me from something he knew I loved to control me. Bruce is just trying to protect me. I did something wrong and he was punishing me.’ The voice went quiet. 

“Are you ready?” Batman asked Arsenal as Robin clicked his belt into place. 

“Yes, Batman,” Arsenal replied. 

“While we’re out there, I don’t want you to leave my side. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Let’s go.” 

Arsenal waved to Robin as he left, who waved back. 

‘Please let this patrol go well,’ Robin thought as he got on his bike to go to Mount Justice. ‘At least I have something new to tell the Team.’ 

— — 

Running across the rooftops of Gotham, Arsenal finally felt like he could breathe again. He didn’t want to break the image of a stoic vigilante, so he didn’t let his face light up in the way it instinctually wanted to. When he stopped a few blocks in front of Batman, Arsenal felt kind of free. Like he could close his eyes and pretend that he was out on his own, protecting people the way that he knew he could. Then Batman settled next to him on the rooftop and Arsenal suddenly felt as if a blanket had been draped over him. A heavy and dark blanket. 

“Don’t move more than a block away,” Batman instructed.

“Yes, Batman,” Arsenal replied. Movement caught his eye and he dropped down onto a fire escape. Down below, there were men moving in the shadows. Arsenal waited for a moment. From the corner of his eye, he saw Batman drop down beside him. Then he saw one of the men move toward the other with a gun in his hand. A second more and he saw the other man backup with his hands in the air. ‘The conversation is no longer friendly.’ 

Batman jumped down, but before he could reach the men, an arrow shot toward them. It lodged in the barrel of one of the guns and the next one skimmed the man’s hand, causing him to drop the gun. The next one snagged the man’s shirt and pinned him to the wall. Batman turned back the other man, but he was gone. ‘Well, he wasn’t the criminal anyway.’ Trying to ignore the fact that Arsenal had managed to defuse the situation before he could even reach the men, Batman jerked the arrow free and grabbed the remaining man by his shirt. “Why were you pulling a gun on him?” the Dark Knight snarled.

“We- We were just having an argument,” the man stammered. “That’s all-“

“Next time don’t threaten someone with a weapon during an argument. Do you understand?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Go.” Batman released the man and he took off running. The vigilante turned around to look up at Arsenal, but the archer was gone. He frowned and used his grapple to get back to the rooftop. As soon as he was he could see the archer a few buildings away, directly on the edge of the one block limit he’d been given. Batman approached him, but before he got there, Arsenal suddenly shot an arrow and dropped into the alley below. Frowning, Batman hurried to the building and looked at the street below. He looked down in time to see Arsenal hitting one of the criminals in the stomach with his bow. The man went town and Arsenal took the opportunity to restrain him. There was another man already restrained on the ground and a woman who was pressing herself against the wall directly below Batman. 

Once Arsenal finished tying up the second man, he approached the woman. “Are you ok, miss?” he asked quietly. 

“Yes. Thank you,” the woman replied shakily. 

“Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m alright, Arsenal. Thank you.”

“Ok. The police will be here soon. Do you need me to stay with you?”

“…No, actually. I think I’ll be ok until they get here.”

“Ae you sure?”

“I am. Thank you, though.”

“Just doing my job.” Arsenal didn’t cross the street but instead shot a grapple arrow up at the building. Before he reached the rooftop, Batman had already retreated from the edge. Arsenal looked at him, waiting. Batman didn’t say anything but simply led him along. 

Throughout the night, Arsenal was at the very top of his game. More than a few times he took care of criminals and interrupted crimes before even Batman could act. His arrows flew off his bowstring almost faster than the Dark Knight could comprehend. In the end, Arsenal was pleased with himself when they returned home. He was actually a little sad when he and Batman had to return home. ‘But I have tomorrow night to look forward to,’ Arsenal reminded himself as they arrived back at the Bat Cave. When he got out of the bat-mobile he saw that Dick was waiting for him. 

“How’d it go?” the teen asked.

“It was great!” Roy pulled his mask off. “I caught three robbers and four drug dealers!”

“Sounds like it was a good night then.” Dick smiled as he followed Roy so he could change. 

“It was so amazing. I loved moving across the rooftops.”

‘God, he really needed to get out,’ Dick thought with a slight grimace. “Sounds like you had a more eventful night than I did. I just spent the night sparring with Conner.” Roy disappeared to change and Dick leaned against the door. “Everyone missed you again.”

“I miss them too. A little less tonight than usual though.”

“That’s alright.” Roy exited the changing room and Dick continued to follow him as he put his suit away. “I also have a…delivery for you.”

“Great! Let’s go to my room.”

‘One night of patrol and his whole mood is turned around,’ Dick observed as he followed Roy up to his room. “Glad to be back then?”

“Ideally, I wish I could go back to the Team, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. Not yet at least.”

“Not yet?” Dick frowned as he followed Roy into his bedroom and shut the door. 

“It’s my new plan.” Roy sat down on his bed, seeming to bounce on it a little. “If I can prove to Bruce that I’m able to handle myself fine on patrol, then maybe he’ll let me go back to the team.”

“It probably can’t hurt to try.” Dick ventured closer and sat on the bed next to his brother. He produced the letter that had been hidden in his sweater pocket. “Not that I don’t enjoy being your messenger.”

“Thanks, Dick.”

“Uh-huh. I have school in the morning. Night, bro.”

“Night.” Roy waited until Dick left and his door was securely shut before he unfolded Kaldur’s letter. His smile only widened as he laid back on his bed as he read it, although it did create a pang of longing in his chest. ‘Soon, Kal. I hope.’

— — 

With patrol added back to his life, Roy suddenly found his life to be a lot more bearable. Now there was something to look forward to every night. He stayed true to his plan and worked overtime to prove to Bruce how capable he was. Arsenal jumped at every opportunity for a solo takedown, which often resulted in him beating Batman to the criminals. Even on the couple of nights, Robin joined them, the bird seemed to be hanging back a bit and letting him take the criminals first. Every night when they returned home though, Bruce never looked more impressed or seemed to have a higher opinion of Roy’s abilities. 

“It's not working, Dick,” Roy sighed as he threw himself down on his bed. 

“You’ve only been at it for like a week,” Dick replied as sat cross-legged by Roy’s head. “Give it some more time.”

“How much time?”

“With B? …Hard to say.”

“I just… I want to go back. I miss Kaldur. And everyone else but you know…him especially.”

“I’m sure.” Dick pulled the latest letter out of his pocket and started tracing Roy’s stomach with the corner of it. He’d forgotten to give it to Roy the night before. “I think it’s mutual by the way. He’s been so…sad. And distant.”

“I wish I could see him.”

“Sorry, the messenger can only bring letters.”

“Hmm.” Roy took the letter from his brother. 

“What does he write to you about?”

Roy shrugged. “Everything. Nothing. How training goes and missions I’ve missed. How Zatanna is adjusting and what surface thing Wally is trying to get him to try. He usually says he enjoyed it more with me though. He always ends them the same way.” 

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. He always says ‘I miss you more than I miss my home. I hope my words can bring you some comfort and you know that while we carry on I still think about you all the time. Until next time, my friend’. He says it every time.”

“And you memorized it?”

Roy blushed a little as he looked away. “Yeah.”

“We have a mission, but when I get back, I’ll help you figure out a new way to convince Bruce to let you come back to the Team.”

“Ok. Be safe in Qurac.”

“I will.” 

Roy sighed as he watched Dick leave. ‘I need something better. Something…bigger.’ He wouldn’t be going on patrol that night, but he could plan. “I have to think of a way to make Bruce see that I’m capable. I need to do something better than just beating him to criminals. I need to prove myself somehow.”

— — 

“Is Dick coming?” Roy asked as he came down to the Bat Cave a couple of days later. 

“No,” Bruce replied. “He decided to stay the night at Mount Justice because they got back from Qurac so late.”

“Oh. Right.” Roy shrugged as he filled his quiver. ‘I would’ve preferred Dick to be here, but I guess I’ll have to carry on without him.’ He nodded to himself. ‘Ok. Good.’

“Let’s go.” 

Arsenal followed Batman to the Bat Mobile. His fingers drummed against his bow a little bit. Nervous excitement was tingling around in his musicals, making him jittery. Once they were out on the rooftops, he was relieved to be running and jumping across the rooftops. He still had the usual ‘one block proximity’ to Batman. ‘Not for long…’ Arsenal stuck close for the first part of the night. After a couple of hours though, he waited until Batman’s back was turned and he slowly backed away. He moved with as much stealth as possible, then ran across the rooftops. After several blocks, he stopped and looked back. No Batman. No shouting. ‘Looks like he didn’t see me leave. I’ve got time then.’ Arsenal nodded to himself, then kept moving. ‘If our intel from last week is correct, the Dark Streets gang should be keeping their latest shipment in this neighborhood.’ 

His plan was simple. Find the latest shipment of drugs from the Dark Streets gang and make sure it was turned over to the police. ‘It’s a supply he’s been looking for if the files on the computer were anything to go by.’ All it would take was for Arsenal to do this and Batman would see who capable he was. Arsenal stopped on a rooftop and looked down. ‘This is the apartment building. Let’s go.’ He dropped down, hanging from the rooftop with one hand. With the other, he silently slid the window open and slipped inside. ‘Ok.’ Once the light was turned on in the room he discovered he was in an empty bedroom. Arsenal nocked an arrow to his bow and moved swiftly through the small apartment. He moved along the wall in the hallway as silently as possible. 

“—it’ll allow us to spread our product several more blocks,” a voice in the room at the end of the hall said. Arsenal stopped outside the room and listened intently. 

“If we move it soon, we could take advantage of the power vacuum the Bat created in South Gotham,” another voice replied. 

“I agree. The sooner we move-“

“Arsenal!” Batman barked in the young man’s comm. “Where is your location?” 

Arsenal just barely stopped the instinct to respond right away. ‘I can’t. If I do they’ll hear me.’ He took a deep breath and ventured a step closer to the door. 

“Arsenal!”

The archer shook his head, despite the fact that he knew that Batman couldn’t see him. He took a deep breath, then re-focused on the conversation; making sure to turn the recorder on his holo-glove on. He moved it an inch closer to the door, moving his arrow off the string, to get a better recording. 

“—sounds like an agreement then. We’ll move the stuff tomorrow night. Our guys in the south can start filling in the void there,” the first voice was saying.

“Supply and demand,” the second voice replied. “And I heard from a friend that there’s a real demand for c-“

The unmistakable sound of a gun click behind Arsenal caused his eyes to widen. He turned his head half an inch to visually confirm the gun that was pointed at him, then made a split second decision. Attempting to move faster than his adversary, Arsenal slammed his bow into the man’s head and stepped toward him in the same moment. Arsenal rammed his body against the man’s hand, then spun around and pointed it up toward the ceiling. Unfortunately, his earlier attempt to injure the man hadn’t worked, because he managed to shoot the gun. The loud bang in such close quarters caused Arsenal to jump and his ears rang a little. ‘Shit!’ He brought the man’s hand down on his knee. It didn’t break, but his hand spasmed and dropped the gun. Arsenal heard the door behind him open and had just enough time to throw himself and the injured man to the ground before someone started firing. 

Not enjoying being a sitting duck, the vigilante wrestled an arrow from his quiver, then flipped over onto his back and shot it. The arrow hit one of the men in the thigh, causing him to go down with a shout of pain. The other two men redirected their bullets toward Arsenal, but he had already thrown himself backward in a somersault in anticipation. He came up on his feet and shot two more arrows in rapid succession. The first missed due to one of the men running at him suddenly, but the second one hit the third man in the shoulder, causing him to stumble backward and fall. Arsenal waited a moment to assess the threat of the final man as he charged the vigilante. A glance around told him space was small, but his adversary was already too close for him to use his archery. Down to no other options, Arsenal threw himself at the armed man. 

The man seemed momentarily surprised that the vigilante came at him, but it didn’t last long. He swung his arm and hit Arsenal in the face with his gun. The cold metal caused pain to snap across Arsenal’s face. He recovered quickly though and dropped his bow to punch the man in the face. The man stepped back a few steps but came at him again. Arsenal sidestepped so the next strike missed and ducked so the man’s fist connected solidly with the wall behind him. Moving swiftly, he drove his elbow into the criminal’s stomach hard enough to wind him a little bit. The next swing hit his jaw from the bottom, which knocked the man back several feet. Arsenal wasted no time kicking him in the chest to knock him into the opposite wall of the small hallway. The man hit the wall, then stumbled to the ground. Arsenal waited for a beat and looked around. All four men were on the ground and moaning in pain. He walked to the man across from him and reach out for him. The man, whose eyes were half-closed, flinched back when the vigilante reached for him. 

“Easy. I won’t hurt you,” Arsenal said in a low voice. He checked the man’s pulse, then restrained him when he was satisfied it was steady. He stood up, then checked on the others. The first man he’d taken down glared at him but seemed leery of actually saying something. Arsenal restrained him with little resistance, then turned to the other two. Before he could reach them though he simultaneously felt a cold shadow descend behind him and a heavy hand settled on his shoulder. The archer’s eyes widened and he started to drop his shoulder and spin around to grab the hand that had gripped him, but the person spun him around by his shoulder in the same moment. The combined movements caused him to fall heavily to the ground. His muscles tensed, ready to block or strike, but a second of looking helped him realize that it wasn’t another gang member. “Batman.” 

Batman stared down at the wayward archer angrily. “Arsenal,” he growled. 

“I- I took down all of them. They’re part of the Dark Streets gang and their latest shipment of drugs is in…that…room-“ The words trailed off and stopped abruptly as Arsenal succumbed to the angry, but silent glare he was getting from Batman. “I- I did this-“

“Quiet.” The restrained tone in the Bat’s voice caused Arsenal to momentarily forget how to talk. “Stay.” Batman sweet past him and toward the two men who’d been shot with arrows. Arsenal twisted to see him restraining the injured men, despite the fact they probably weren’t going anywhere. He disappeared briefly into the room with the drugs, then returned. When he reached Arsenal, he grabbed the archer by his upper arm and pulled him roughly to his feet. Arsenal stumbled a bit, then attempted to pull himself free. Attempted. Batman’s grip, while not tight enough to hurt or even leave a mark, was tight enough to prevent him from moving away. Batman grabbed his bow as they passed it, but didn’t move to hand it back to the archer. He only released Arsenal when they were in front of the window. A nod told the younger vigilante that he was supposed to leave, so Arsenal climbed out the window and onto the roof. He was barely alone for ten seconds before Batman joined him. The loud sirens and lights of police cars and ambulances stopped in front of the building. 

‘Who-‘ Arsenal began, but then Batman grabbed his arm again and pulled him away. The two were completely silent as he led Arsenal a block away, then down into an alley. Batman didn’t even say anything as he got into the Bat-mobile. Trying not to chew his lip to show any outward signs of anxiety, Arsenal got in as well. Batman still didn’t give him his bow back. Being in the confined space with anger practically radiating off Batman wasn’t helping with the anxiety thing. ‘Calm. Calm. Inhale: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Hold: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Exhale: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Inhale-‘ He kept reciting the mantra and breathing with his counting, choosing to focus on that instead of how tightly Batman’s hands were gripping the steering wheel. It was so successful that he was actually only slightly anxious when they got back to the Bat Cave. Getting out of the car, Arsenal took several, very deep breaths. ‘Time to face the music.’ He turned to face Batman and saw that the Dark Knight was still holding his bow. Ignoring the jackhammering of his heart, Arsenal walked closer. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. “Can- Can I have-“

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Batman growled. The question caused Arsenal to falter.

“Wha- Huh?”

“You heard me. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I- I don’t understand-“

“Understand?! You ran off without my permission! When I tried to get ahold of you over the comms you ignored me! You went after dangerous, armed criminals alone! You could’ve been killed!”

“But I wasn’t-“

“You got lucky!”

Arsenal stared at him with a gaping mouth for a few moments. “Luck- I got- It wasn’t luck.” His voice almost raised to a yell, but not quite. “I’m trained- You trained me!”

“And I’m starting to think it was a mistake!” The words echoed slightly around them, but for Arsenal, it was echoing around in his head twice as loud. 

“No- No, you can’t- You don’t mean that.”

“I might when you’re proving to be irresponsible and careless! You can’t be a vigilante if you’re too immature and unreliable!”

“I- I wanted to prove-“

“Prove what?! That you can’t follow simple orders?! That I need to watch you all the time like a 5-year-old?! You’re lucky I was able to tack you so quickly-“

“What?!” Arsenal’s voice had a hint of a squeak to it. “What- What do you mean you tracked me? I didn’t have my bike.”

“While you were benched, I decided it would be prudent to put trackers in your bows and suits in case you decided to do something that irresponsible again. And I was right.”

“You- You put trackers in my clothes…?” 

“You’re lucky I did.”

Arsenal didn’t say anything. He just stared at Batman with his heart pounding loudly in his ears. “You… That’s… That’s wrong…”

“It’s my job. I’m keeping you safe.”

“But you…” Arsenal didn’t know what to say. It didn’t feel like there were words to describe the feelings of intense betrayal and violation that pervaded him. 

“You’re benched for a month.”

“A- Why?!”

“Why?! You went off without permission and almost got yourself killed!”

“But-“

“No buts! Go to bed!” 

Arsenal was about to try and reason with Batman, but something stopped him. Like a switch being flipped in his brain, everything suddenly became muted. Even the heartbeat in his ears was quieter. So he merely nodded and walked away. Almost robotically, he put his quiver away, then changed out of his suit. These robotic like movements continued as he climbed the stairs into the Manor, and then up to his bedroom. The muted feeling persisted until he walked into his bathroom. Roy stopped in front of the mirror and the mute feeling diluted out into a serene calm. ‘A tracker…’ Roy thought as he stared at his reflection. ‘He put a tracker, multiple trackers, in my clothes without telling me.’ And he never did give Roy his bow back. ‘For my safety.’ The young man’s eyes locked onto a cut on his cheek. There was dried blood smeared around it and the skin the immediate area appeared to be slowly darkening. ‘He’s so concerned with my safety, but he never even commented on my injury.’ 

Slowly, Roy lifted his hand and touched the cut. His head flinched away instinctively, but he reached out to touch it again. The dried blood was course under his fingertip. ‘He’s not just…concerned about my safety then, if he missed the cut.’ Roy nodded as he carefully wet a washcloth with hot water. ‘Bruce isn’t just trying to protect me. He’s trying to control me.’ He flinched a little as the washcloth came into contact with his cheek and he started cleaning it. ‘Bruce is trying to control me.’ Something in the back of his mind was whispering about how…similar…all of this felt. There was a moment when Roy began to feel trapped and overwhelmed, but he shook his head against it. 

“No,” he said quietly. “No, I’m not letting it happen again. I- I won’t let anyone control me like that again.” 

Roy took down the drug dealers by himself. 

Roy had completed missions and cases on his own successfully. 

Roy had been able to go out into Gotham alone without anything bad happening. 

“I’m not as vulnerable as he thinks. Bruce is wrong. I’m not a kid and I don’t want to be controlled anymore.” He finished cleaning the blood off his cheek and nodded. “I’m not going to be controlled by anyone, not even Bruce.” The ghost of a smile pulled the corner of his mouth up. “I am my own arsenal.”


	35. Agendas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7 chapters to go! This one's on the short side, but the next one will be longer. Let me know what you think!

The view from the Watchtower’s garden was so peaceful, it almost managed to make Batman feel calm. Almost. Ever since Roy’s escapade a few nights before, the atmosphere in the Manor had been…tense. Dick had started giving him the silent treatment upon finding out that Roy had once again been benched. Although Alfred wasn’t giving Bruce the silent treatment, there was enough silence and side-eye glances that Bruce was fully aware of how much his butler disproved of his decision. Roy had also been quieter, but it didn’t feel like it was out of anger like with Dick. 

‘Why is everyone always so critical?’ Batman wondered with irritation. ‘I’m trying to protect Roy! Am I the only one who remembers how traumatizing it was when Oliver found him?! I vowed to keep that monster away from Roy and I’ll die before I break it again!’

Superman put his hand on Batman’s shoulder, which Batman shrugged off immediately. “I can feel your irritation from here,” he said quietly. “Whatever has you heated this time, I’d cool it before we have to go in there and have this meeting.” Batman didn’t respond verbally but did nod in response. 

“At times like these, one feels the very weight of the world upon us,” Wonder Woman remarked, not quite oblivious to Superman and Batman’s conversation. Her comment managed to drag a small nod from Batman, who did his best to reign his irritation before the meeting started. Footsteps behind the three alerted them to someone approaching. They turned around and found Aquaman walking toward them. 

“Everyone’s here,” he said. 

“It’s time, then,” Superman replied. He led the other three heroes into the League’s meeting room, where the rest of the Justice League was assembled. Aquaman waited until the door and shut before he spoke. 

“Our agenda is clear. What’s at stake should not be underestimated.”

“The decisions we make will reverberate for years to come.”

“And influence whether or not the world continues to put their trust in the Justice League,” Wonder Woman added. 

“Please take your seats,” Batman said, his voice calm. “We have work to do.” Everyone sat down at the meeting table. 

Once they were all seated, Martian Manhunter stood up first. “Another expansion of the League could generate another expansion of hostility from our enemies,” he said. “No one wants or needs another Injustice League.”

“Point taken,” Superman acknowledged. “But the option remains to vote no on all candidates. So, I nominate Icon for League membership.” The holographic picture of a hero in red and green appeared in the middle of the U-shaped table. 

“Why?” Batman asked. “Because you think he might be Kryptonian like you thought Captain Marvel was?”

“I was Kryptonian?” Captain Marvel asked. “Cool!”

“Icon interests me also,” Wonder Woman assured Superman upon seeing the slightly disappointed look on his face. “As does his protege, Rocket.” The image changed to that of a teenaged girl. “Athena knows the League could use more female members.”

“Agreed,” Black Canary nodded. 

“Here, here,” Hawkwoman concurred. 

Wonder Woman looked at the male members, who all remained silent. 

‘Rocket is only a teenager, though,’ Batman thought as the conversation eventually moved on. ’She’s only Zatanna’s age.’ The subject of an age requirement had never come up in the League before, but he suspected that would change today. “I nominate the Atom.” The image changed to the small hero.

“Seriously?” Captain Marvel asked. “The Atom? How useful could he be at that size?”

“Its the size that makes him useful.”

“Absolutely,” Flash agreed. “Still, we could always use some more raw power. And Earth has a third Green Lantern.” The imaged change again. “Guy Gardner-“

“No,” Hal and John said at the same time. 

“We could really-“

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“Have you met Guy?” John asked incredulously. “He’s brash-“

“Irresponsible-” Hal added. 

“Loud-“

“Annoying-“

“And his temperament leaves a lot to be desired.”

“Raw power or not, he’s not right for the League.”

‘It’s ironic hearing anyone is too annoying and irresponsible from Jordan,’ Batman thought as Blue Devil, someone he had no interest in, was nominated next and various members debated his origin. 

“If we’re considering Blue Devil, then I want to nominate Arsenal,” Black Canary said. The image in the middle changed to that of the archer. That snapped Batman out of his thoughts. He looked over at her to find she was staring him down defiantly. “He has more experience and he’s not a kid anymore. He’s 18. A legal adult.” The League’s founding members seemed to notice the stare down she and Batman were having as she talked. “He’s ready.”

“is he?” Batman asked. “Arsenal is good, but he has hardly any experience doing solo work.”

“So? We work as a team, do we not?”

“We do, but we’re all also heroes in our own rights. We protect our own cities and homes. Each of us has a distinct identity the contributes to the team. Future League members should follow that example. What kind of message is it sending to the rest of the Team if we move him up without knowing what’s he’s really capable of and who he is?”

“Then by your standards, should the rest of the Team be excluded from consideration?” 

“I think they should be considered,” Flash said. 

“No,” Superman objected. “Arsenal might be 18, but the rest of Team is too young. We’re not inducting children into the League.” Most members caught the nervous look that crossed Captain Marvel’s face. 

“That seems myopic,” Doctor Fate replied. The image changed to Kid Flash and Aqualad. “I have been one with Kid Flash and Aqualad. Regardless of solo experience, both are ready.”

“And what of Zatanna?” Wonder Woman asked. The imaged change dot the young magician. 

“Absolutely not!” 

“That sounded almost protective, Doctor. Guess we know Zatara is still in that helmet somewhere.”

“Why is Doctor Fate a member?” Captain Marvel asked, standing up. “You conned Zatara into giving up his life to you, or else lose his daughter instead. Not cool.”

“Should such behavior be condoned?” Red Tornado asked as the image changed to Fate.

“Zatara desired Doctor Fate remain with the League.”

“Oh please,” Hal Jordan remarked. 

“It is true. Qatar’s trust in Nabu is…measured. He desires the League maintain a close watch upon us. There were a few moments so silence after that.

“Plastic Man,” Batman said finally, moving the meriting along. Captain Marvel failed to suppress his giggles. 

“I don’t know,” Flash replied. “The guy’s got a pretty substantial criminal record.” 

Captain Marvel burst out laughing. “Ahahaha! Sorry,” he apologized quickly. “That guy cracks me up.” A quick look at the other members showed they didn’t share his enjoyment. 

“Maybe it’ s time we all talked about the elephant in the room. Should Captain Marvel stay a member, now that we know he’s only 10-year-old?”

“He does possess an adult body and the wisdom of Solomon,” Red Tornado said. 

“Wisdom,” Aquaman argued. “does not equal maturity.”

“Hey, I’m sitting right here,” Captain Marvel reminded him. 

“Then Billy, maybe you should leave,” Black Canary replied in a gentle, almost condescending voice. “Until we’ve hashed this out.”

“No,” Batman replied. “Captain Marvel and is entitled to participate until or unless he’s voted out.”

“It’s not just his age,” Wonder Woman said. “Its the fact that he lied about it.”

“I didn’t lie…exactly. I just left out the part about being a kid.”

“A lie of omission is still a lie. You kept an important secret from us. No one in the League knew the truth.”

“I did,” Batman said. 

“I shouldn’t be surprised. Since you indoctrinated Robin into a life of crime fighting at the ripe old age of 9.”

Batman looked at the image in the middle, now displaying his younger protege. “He needed to help bring the man who murdered his family to justice.”

“So he could turn out like you?”

“So that he wouldn’t.”

“If experience should be a consideration…Robin does have the most of that,” John Stewart said cautiously. 

“No. He’s 13. I agree with Superman, we shouldn’t allow anyone under the age of 18 into the League.”

“Precisely,” Wonder Woman agreed. 

“You seem to have reached a consensus that 18 years is a suitable minimum age for joining the League,” Martian Manhunter said. “Yet what of Miss Martian?” The image changed to his niece. “Though she is a biological adolescent by Martian standards, she was born 48 Earth years ago.”

“So what is the deciding factor?” Red Tornado asked. “Chronology or biology? Take Superboy.”

“Exactly,” Black Canary replied. “He’s only a year old. Does he have to wait 17 more to stand beside us?” Wonder Woman looked at Superman, but he remained quiet and looked away. “And if Batman really believes in letting in 18-year-olds, then Arsenal should be no problem for him.”

“I told you, he’s not ready,” Batman growled. 

“Why not? He’s 18. He may not have a lot of solo experience, but he has the most out of anyone on the Team. He’s a great archer and detective in his own right. We don’t have anyone in the League with his particular skill set.”

“I don’t care! I’m his mentor and I say he’s not ready.”

“He isn’t, or you’re not?”

“That’s enough,” Superman interjected. “Batman, you know the rules. Any candidate put forth by a League member is eligible to be voted on.” Batman didn’t say anything. Superman turned his attention to Black Canary. “We shouldn’t be antagonizing each other.”

“She brings up an interesting point,” Flash said. “I mean…if Arsenal isn’t ready, when will he be? What level of experience will be necessary to join? That’s a lot more subjective than age.”

“I think it will be for each voting member to decide what level is acceptable.” Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman al stood up and moved so they could be seen by all. “Any more ideas?” No said anything. “No? Then here are our candidates for new or continued membership.” Pictures of the candidates all appeared in holograms around the table.

“We’ve debated origin, gender, size, experience, age, temperament, and background,” Batman explained. “But…what is the fundamental criterion for membership-”

“When all is said and down,” Wonder Woman said, stepping forward. “The question must be: whom do we trust? Trust to fight beside us. Trust to have our backs. Trust to uphold the high standards and ideals of the Justice League?”

“Time to vote.” The three of the returned to their seats to cast their votes as well. ‘…I can’t vote Roy in,’ Batman thought as he started casting his vote for each candidate. ‘I trust him. He’s a great vigilante and hero. He embodies everything the League should represent and stand for.’ The problem didn’t lie with Arsenal himself. Being a member of the League required a public ceremony at the Hall of Justice. It required sometimes having solo missions anywhere in the country or even the world. Away from Gotham, and away from where Batman could keep Arsenal safe. He came to the archer and looked up at his full-size image. Strangely, he was reminded of four, almost five, years ago. When the image had been of a 14-year-old covered in bruises. ‘I have to keep him safe.’ Batman voted against his protege, then kept going down the list. ‘I have to.’ When he finished, he waited patiently until the rest of the League had voted as well. When everyone finished, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman all had access to the results instantly. Batman’s eyes skimmed the list and something in his chest loosened. Arsenal’s name wasn’t on there.

“Here are the results,” Superman said. “Doctor Fate, the Atom, Plastic Man, and Icon. And Captain Marvel has been voted to be allowed to stay.”

Batman stood up. “All those in favor of ratifying the results?” 

“Aye!” everyone replied in unison. 

“All opposed?” No one said anything. “Then we are adjourned.” Everyone nodded and stood up to leave. Batman followed suit. 

As he left, Black Canary followed him. “You can’t keep Arsenal out of the League forever,” she said quietly. “I meant what I said. He’s a good hero and he’s more than ready to start doing things on his own.”

“I know.”

“Then why-“

“My concern is what’s best for him, Canary. You may not agree, but you don’t need to.”

“How long do you think you can keep him in Gotham?”

“…As long as I need to.” He reached the zeta tube and Black Canary hung back.

“All you’re going to do by holding on this tight is hurt him.”

Batman didn’t say anything and simply left. 

— — 

“B should be home soon,” Dick said to Roy, who was re-stringing a bow. “Wally just said his uncle wants him home, so the meeting must be over.”

“Mhm,” Roy replied. 

“Are you worried or…?”

“Not really.”

“Even though you’re grounded again?”

“No.” Roy set his bow down and looked at his brother. “Don’t say anything but…I’m going to try and convince Bruce to let me go back to the Team.”

“Really?! That’s great! How?”

“I don’t really know yet.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“Thanks.” Roy looked down at his bow as he picked it up again. ‘I know that I need to talk to Bruce, but I don’t know what to say to him. How do I convince him to let me go back?’ His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the Bat-mobile arriving. 

Dick smirked and stood up. “Good luck, bro. Stand your ground. You got this.” 

Roy licked his lips as he stood up, freshly strung bow clutched in his hands. ‘I can do this. I can do this.’ 

“What’re you doing down here?” Batman asked him as he passed. 

“I-I want to talk to you.”

“About what?”

Roy swallowed. “I want to go back to the Team.” He waited for a moment, then watched as Batman froze; then slowly took his cowl off. 

Bruce turned around to look at his older ward. “What?”

“I want to go back to the Team.”

“…Roy-“

“I have to go back, Bruce. I know I messed up, but I need the Team. I can’t- I can’t keep saying here alone. I have to be around my friends and be able to leave Gotham sometimes.”

“I’m keeping you here to protect you.”

Roy shook his head as he looked down at his bow. “I’m just doing this protect you. I know what’s best for you-“

“I do-“

“I’m your guardian you need to do what I say.” Roy looked up at Bruce. “You have no idea how many times a week I heard Oliver say those things.” He could tell that caught Bruce off guard. “He wasn’t doing that stuff to help me though. He was trying to control me. …And so are you…” 

Bruce’s immediate reaction was to deny the soft-spoken accusation, but the earnest look on Roy’s face him pause. “Roy-“

“I can’t spend the rest of my life hiding and alone, Bruce. And I definitely won’t spend it being controlled. I spent two years alone and controlled. And I won’t- It’s not going to happen again.”

“….I know you’re lonely here Roy, but I’m trying to protect you from Oliver.”

“Ollie… He hasn’t been a problem. He doesn’t even know I’m on the Team. Besides, if I spend my whole life hiding…doesn’t he win?”

“Roy-“

“Give me another chance, Bruce. Please. When I first got here you said you’d always give me another chance. Back when I was always so afraid of making mistakes… Remember? I need my friends and I need freedom. I feel like I’m suffocating here. Please.”

Bruce wanted to say no. The word was sitting on the tip of his tongue, but the pleading look on Roy’s face made him stop. He was struck by the firm stance Roy held, despite how tight his hands clutched his bow. The teen’s voice had remained steady the whole time. He looked Bruce in the eye despite how obviously anxious he was. Again, Bruce thought back to the hologram image of Roy on the Watchtower earlier. ‘He’s come so far…’ Despite his misgivings about the situation, Bruce couldn’t help but feel his chest swell with pride. Roy had come so much farther than he’d ever dared hope. “You also went into the city without my permission.”

“Then I won’t do it again. Please, Bruce?”

Bruce sighed. “Very well. You can go back to the Team.”

“Really?!”

“Yes. But temporarily. The next time I send the Team on a mission, you will go with them. If you can follow orders and complete the mission to a satisfactory degree…then I’ll allow you to go back permanently.”

“Can I go to Mount Justice?”

“Not until your mission.” It would be prudent to let Kaldur be punished for a little longer, after all. “And you’re benched until you go on this mission. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Absolutely.” Still being benched wasn’t great, but to go back to the Team, Roy was willing to do just about anything. “I won’t let you down. I’ll prove to you that I can do it. I promise.”

‘I know,’ Bruce thought. ‘You’re an incredibly capable young man.’ The pride in the man’s chest had spread to his whole body. He tried to ignore it, but that was difficult when the evidence of Roy’s resilience and growth was right there in front of him. ‘When did he gets so big and confident? How did I miss it?’ Part of Bruce was extremely upset at the idea of Roy being so grown up. ‘Is this what Dinah sees in him?’ It made him even more prideful to know that others could also see how much Roy had grown. ‘He’s so much more than Oliver ever gave him credit for; than I ever gave him credit for.’ Which didn’t exactly mean he would let Roy run around Gotham alone…but maybe letting him go back to the Team would be enough. ‘So long as he can prove I can trust him.’ Bruce cleared his throat awkwardly. “Go upstairs. I’m sure dinner will be ready soon.” And Bruce wasn’t sure how much longer he could last with his combined pride in Roy and the boy’s radiant smile. “I’ll be right up.”

“Ok.” Roy put his bow away, then climbed the stairs into the Manor. ‘I guess I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I’m going back to the Team. Back to Kal.’ He smiled even wider. ‘I really did it! I can’t wait to tell Dick! If I hurry, I can probably write Kal a letter- no, I want to surprise him!’ Roy practically ran from Bruce’s study, up the stars to Dick’s bedroom to share the good news. ‘I’m going to see my friends again!’


	36. Insecurity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, we're getting closer to the end. There's still lot's of stuff on its way for Roy. Enjoy!

Unfortunately, it was another 10 days before Bruce had a mission for the Team. Roy, while trying to act like an adult, didn’t bother or harass Bruce about a mission, or his inability to patrol. It helped that Dick had agreed to keep his upcoming return, and the potential for it to be permeant, a secret. It made Roy feel a little bad when the two letters he received from Kaldur once again mentioned how much his friend (more than a friend?) missed him. However, one good thing that was currently keeping him busy was Dick trying to make up for the fact that Roy had been forced to spend a day in the Bat Cave during the now 14-year-old’s birthday party a few days previously. 

“—and then she talked about how when she was patrolling with Canary in Seattle, she caught some kind of spider-dude,” Dick said as he finished his story and handed Roy once of the parts he needed for the trick arrow he was working on. 

“Tell me again why you were spying on Artemis,” Roy remarked as he focused on his task at hand.

“I wasn’t spying! I was staking out for crime and her window just happened to be open.”

“Sorry, eavesdropping.”

Dick made a face and poke him with a tool. “You’re no fun.”

“I’m pointing out the obvious.”

“Well, stop that. Soon enough you’ll be back with us and you can ask her about her and Canary’s vigilante outings.”

“If Bruce lets me go back permanently.”

“I’m sure he will. Why wouldn’t he?” A second after the question left his lips, Dick held up his hand. “Don’t answer that.”

“Thought so.” The sound of approaching footsteps caused Roy and Dick to look up. 

“Roy, suit up,” Bruce told him. 

A smile broke out across Roy’s face and he got up from his seat to change. Dick though, frowned at Bruce. “Am I not going?” he asked. 

“No.”

“Why?!”

“Because I don’t want you trying to cover for you brother. If Roy wants to earn back his right to be on the Team, then he needs to do it on his own.”

Dick crossed his arms. “So I’m just staying home all night?”

“Yes.” 

It was hard to not scowl at Bruce’s back as the man left, no doubt to change as well. ‘I wish I could be there to make sure Roy’s mission goes well,’ Dick thought. ‘He needs to be back on the Team. But he can do it. I believe in him.’ When Roy returned, now wearing his suit and looking excited about his upcoming mission; even if he didn’t know what it was, Dick smiled to hide his irritation. 

“Why aren’t you suited up?” Roy asked in confusion when he saw Dick. 

“I’m hanging back tonight,” Dick replied. “Don’t worry though, you’ll do fine on your mission. I’m sure of it.”

“….Ok.” Roy had been hoping that his brother would be coming. Dick’s presence just made him feel more confident. 

“Arsenal, let’s go,” Batman said. 

“Good luck, bro,” Dick smiled. “Just follow the plan and stick to the mission. You’ll be fine.”

“I will.” Arsenal joined Batman in the Bat-mobile. Excitement and anxiety were bubbling inside of him. ‘Dick’s right. I just need to stay focused on the mission and follow whatever plan we come up with. If I do that then Bruce will let me come back to the Team permanently.’ He glanced at Batman. ‘I can do this. I can.’ 

Arriving at the zeta tube caused Arsenal to grow even more excited. 

“Arsenal, B-04,” the zeta tube announced as he walked through. As soon as he stepped into the main cavern of Mount Justice, a blur shot around the corner and stopped in front of him. 

“Arsenal?!” Kid Flash asked in amazement. “You’re here!” 

Miss Martian and Zatanna came around the corner next. “Arsenal!” the former cheered. She flew over and gave the archer a gentle hug. “How are you?’

“I’m good, Miss M,” Arsenal replied, returning the hug. “How’re you?’

“Good.” She turned around gestured to Zatanna. “Do you remember Zatanna?”

“I do. Nice to see you again.”

“You too,” Zatanna replied easily. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” She and Miss Martian shared a look that he couldn’t really read, but, someone else had come around the corner, drawn by the shouts and excited voices, and now had his attention. 

Kaldur’s eyes widened when he saw Arsenal standing there. “Arsenal…” he said in surprise, almost whispering the archer’s name. “You- You’re here.”

“Yeah,” Arsenal replied. He had to force himself to stay still and not hug Kaldur.

“Are you coming back to the Team?”

“That remains to be seen,” Batman said. “Robin is home tonight, so whether or not Arsenal comes back permanently depends on your performance tonight.” 

“Artemis, B-07,” the zeta tube announced. 

“Hey, Artemis, look who’s here!” Kid Flash smile as he pointed to Arsenal. “He’s back, finally!”

Arsenal turned around to see the younger archer standing there stiffly. She scoffed a little at Kid Flash’s words. “Sure,” she said. “Team needed a real archer.”

“Team,” Batman said gruffly. He gestured and the young heroes gathered around him. “Listen up.” He pulled up a picture of a familiar foe on the holographic screens of the computer. “Sportsmaster was seen coming through Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.”

“In full costume?” Zatanna asked. “Nervy.”

“In street clothes. Facial recognition software picked up the ID. Find out what he’s up to.”

“All of us?” Superboy asked. “Seems like overkill for a shadow job.”

“Perhaps a small squad?” Red Tornado suggested. 

“Very well. Aqualad, Arsenal, Kid Flash. The three of you will go.”

“Good,” Superboy said, crossing his arms. “Stake-outs make me crazy.”

“We could always use the night off,” Miss Martian added. 

“I want in,” Artemis said suddenly. Everyone looked at her in surprise. “With M’gann and Robin out, no one has logged more hours piloting the bishop.”

“Artemis, are you sure?” Batman asked her. 

“Absolutely.”

“You have your mission. Get ready to depart.”

Aqualad drifted closer to Arsenal as they headed for the hangar. “Is it true that if we succeed on this mission, Batman will allow you to return to the Team?” he whispered tentatively; a little afraid he’d misunderstood before. 

“Yes,” Arsenal whispered back. “I need to prove to him that I can follow orders. As long as everything goes smoothly, I’ll be free to come back.”

Aqualad smiled. “I am glad. We will make sure this mission goes well.”

“I know.” Actually seeing Kaldur again for the first time in over a month was like breathing a breath of fresh air. Arsenal felt happiness bubbling up inside of him. ‘It’s just a recon mission. We got this. No big deal.’ By the time he stepped on to the bishop, they had a plan and it felt like he was home. He sat down in a seat and Aqualad sat down in a seat across the ship from him. 

Just after they’d flown away from the mountain, Kid Flash looked back at Artemis. “Ah….this could end up being one of those things that sounds better in my head than out loud, but you are a real archer.” Artemis stared at him. “No, I mean I’m jazzed about Arsenal. We go way back, you know? But you- You’ve made your own place on the Team. You have nothing to prove. Not to me. Ok?”

“Ok,” Artemis replied. “And, Wally?” Wally half turned back to look at her. 

“It sounded fine out loud.” 

‘What have I missed in the last month?’ Arsenal wondered. Maybe Artemis didn’t miss him as much as Dick had led him to believe and she had enjoyed being the only archer on the Team. ‘Now I’m just being silly. She wouldn’t….’ 

“Arsenal, help me prepare the first phase of the plan,” Aqualad said, sensing the archer’s anxiety. The two of them left the cockpit and worked on making sure the equipment they’d brought was secure. “We must be professional. So that Batman will have no reason to deny you coming back.”

“I know.” Arsenal stopped when Aqualad’s hand settled on his for a moment. He looked up at him. 

“But I missed you. A lot.”

Arsenal swallowed the bout of emotion that suddenly rose in him. “So did I.” Nothing was going to stop him from coming back to the Team. Not even Artemis.

— — 

When they got to Louisiana, Arsenal spent a long time crouched down on a hill overlooking a shack next to a pier. He watched silently, used to this aspect of the job. Eventually, though, Sportsmaster exited the shack and hopped in the boat docked there. “Target’s heading north,” Arsenal reported into his comm as the boat took off. He ran down the hill, then jumped on a jet ski hidden in the bushes. “Pursue, but maintain a discreet distance. That goes double for you, Artemis. Sportsmaster’s proven adept at spotting martian camouflaging when in motion.” Arsenal was pretty confident about the mission. Aqualad was following under the water and Kid Flash was following on the motorcycle on the land. ‘Land, air, on the water and under it,’ he thought. ‘We’ve got this.’ They followed Sportsmaster under a road, the down the bayou for several minutes before he stopped. Arsenal hung back as he watched the man disembark from his boat. “He stopped. Hold your positions. I’m moving in for a closer look.”

Arsenal tailed Sportsmaster onto the land and eventually climb into a tree to watch him. Their adversary was standing in the middle of a small field while the archer watched him through his night-vision binoculars. He waited silently and patiently, not wanting anything to get messed up. Then he heard Artemis yell. Twisting around suddenly, he spotted his teammate facing off against Cheshire. Arsenal looked back at Sportsmaster, then hopped out of the tree and ran to help. 

“—Not my call!” Cheshire snapped at Artemis as Arsenal stealthily approached. 

“Then who’s call is it?!” Artemis demanded. 

“Sorry, just because I know all your secrets doesn’t mean you an know all mine.” Arsenal shot off an arrow, which deployed a net and pinned the villain against a tree. “Why, Arsenal, if you wanted another date you only had to ask.”

Arsenal made a face. ‘Really glad Kal isn’t here right now,’ he thought as he pulled another arrow from his quiver. 

“You two are dating?!” Artemis demanded. 

“What?! No!” Artemis was literally his teammate, didn’t she know better?!

“Why deny the attraction?” Cheshire asked. “After all, Arsenal, you’re here.” A train went by not seconds later and Cheshire cut herself free of the net. Both archers pointed their arrows at her. “Really, I’m so fond of you both.”

‘How does Artemis know her?!’ Arsenal demanded silently. 

“I couldn’t bear to hurt you. Much.” She put the sword away and attacked. Her offensive move took Artemis out first. Cheshire threw smoke bombs at Arsenal, which instantly surrounded him with the stuff. He sighed a little, then distantly heard a sound that made his stomach drop. He turned his head and saw Sportsmaster leaving on his boat. 

“Sportsmaster…” Before Arsenal could do anything though, Cheshire attacked him. The combination of him being distracted by his mission getting away and the smoke made it easier for her to take him down. She pointed a sai against his cheek.

“Oh, too bad lover boy.” Cheshire pulled her mask off and before Arsenal could say or do anything, she kissed him. He closed his eyes and face scrunched up in displeasure. It felt like the longest ten seconds of his life before she finally pulled away. “But at least a kiss is still a kiss.” The arrival of a blast of wind and Cheshire grunting was music to the archer’s ears. The weight disappeared from his body. 

“And a sai is just a sai,” Kid Flash said. “And quite the souvenir by the way.”

“Artemis!” Arsenal yelled as he threw an arrow to the other archer. “Tracker arrow! Shoot it on Sportsmaster now!”

Artemis nocked the arrow and pointed it in the direction of the quickly retreating boat, but then lowered her aim. “It’s too far out of range,” she said. 

“Move.” Arsenal got up and pulled out another arrow, then shot it. When the tracer attached, then he subtly moved his had towards Artemis’ quiver and then he ran down to where he led the jet ski. 

“You’re abandoning-“

“I’m prioritizing!” Arsenal hopped on and took off after Sportsmaster. “Aqualad, the target’s made me, so I’ll take a dive. He’ll think he’s in the clear and you can track him from below. We’ll be right behind using the tracer.” Taking a deep breath, Arsenal gunned it to pull up beside Sportsmaster’s boat. Right on cue, the man threw something in the water, then an explosion nocked him off the jet ski and it flipped it over. In an instant Arsenal was literally head over heels under the water. As soon as he righted himself though, he saw something small fall in as well, and then another, larger explosion where Aqualad was supposed to be. Kicking furiously, Arsenal pushed his head above the water, “Aqualad!”

“Right here,” a voice said behind him. Arsenal turned around and a little bit of relief filled him. Aqualad put his hand to his comm. “Artemis, Kid Flash, we lost Sportsmaster. We need you to throw the fight with Cheshire and plant a tracker on her.” With the order relayed, he looked at Arsenal, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah. Fine. We- We need to complete the mission.”

“Yes, let’s.” They swam over to the jet ski and Aqualad flipped it over with ease. He held out his hand, but Arsenal didn’t need his help. Once he was seated, he reached out a hand to Aqualad. “Come on.” The Atlantean took it and soon settled behind Arsenal. The archer tried to ignore the flippy-floppy feeling in his stomach from how Aqualad hugged his torso as he drove. ‘Mission. Stay focused on the mission.’ It didn’t take them long to reach the place where they’d left Artemis and Kid Flash. The speedster came down to meet them and immediately started catching them up on the right they’d missed as soon as their feet touched dry land. 

“—and then we threw the fight as ordered,” Kid Flash said, telling the whole story in under a minute. “After Artemis planted the tracer.”

“Cheshire’s heading north,” Artemis said as she joined them. She held up a small tracking device to show them what she meant. 

“Sportsmaster was headed south,” Arsenal said. “Kind of like this mission.”

“Maybe he’ll double-back. Or she will.”

“Either way they’ll rendezvous and we’ll find them,” Kid Flash said. 

“We’d better,” Aqualad told them. “Sportsmaster acquired an attaché case. We need to learn what it contained. If you stayed aboard the bioship-“

“I saw Cheshire sneaking up on him,” Artemis replied, pointing at Arsenal. 

“Then you radio a warning,” he replied, a little irritated. Quickly, he tried to squash the feeling though. 

“And if she found you by hacking our frequency?”

“It is true,” Aqualad admitted with a sigh. “We have come to rely on M’gann’s telepathy over our radios.”

“Then let’s stop looking to place blame and start looking for Cheshire,” Kid Flash said. 

“Here,” Artemis sighed, tossing the device to Arsenal. “Since clearly, I can’t be trusted. You track her.”

‘You wouldn’t be so trusting either if you were me!’ Arsenal thought. ‘Especially if you being on this Team hinged on this mission going well!’ 

Kid Flash took the device from Arsenal, almost seeming to give the archer a dirty look, then held it out to Artemis. “Artemis,” he almost whined. 

“It’s fine,” she said, brushing him off. “I’ll follow in the bishop.”

“Go, Kid,” Aqualad instructed. “Arsenal and I will follow in the river and we will all follow as originally planned.”

Kid Flash said nothing, but simply put his helmet on and ran back to his motorcycle. Arsenal tried not to sigh as he followed Aqualad back to the jet ski, but he did take a second look back at Artemis, then took a small device out of a utility pouch. He studied it for a moment, then frowned as he walked. ‘I knew it!’ Aqualad was already under water and following Kid Flash’s directions, so Arsenal jumped on his jet ski and headed the opposite direction. 

— — 

Betrayal was burning inside Arsenal when he pulled up to the warehouse. ‘I knew she was trying to sabotage the mission.’ Looked like she had gotten used to being the only archer on the Team. He pulled an arrow from his quiver, then started creeping towards the entrance to the warehouse. Looking around, he confirmed he was alone, then started trying to break-in through the electric lock. ‘I need to get inside-‘ His efforts only lasted a few seconds before something moved from the corner of his eye. “Huh-“ Arsenal threw himself back right before whatever it is exploded right in front of him. He fell onto his back and someone jumped down from the roof. He rolled backward and turned around in time to see Chesire attacking Artemis. He shot an arrow in their direction to distract the assassin, then radioed for back-up. “Arsenal, to Aqualad,” he said as he drew another arrow from his quiver. “Located Cheshire and Sportsmaster. Rendezvous at my coordinates.”

“Acknowledged,” Aqualad replied. “I’ll send Kid ahead.”

Arsenal shot an arrow at Sportsmaster, but the man avoided it easily. The archer then twisted to avoid the lance that was thrown at him. He shot an arrow that released a small blast of pressurized wind to knock Sportsmaster back a few feet. Arsenal then pulled another arrow out and stumbled backward until he was back-to-back with Artemis. “So you’re pretty much allergic to radioing a warning?” he asked. 

“Artemis to Arsenal: look out,” Artemis grumbled as they moved in tandem, to switch places and shoot. Unfortunately, Cheshire managed to slip past Arsenal and tracked Artemis. Before he could go to help her, Sportsmaster drew his attention away. 

Arsenal shot an arrow at him, but his adversary managed to duck under it and got close enough to take a swing at him. He ducked and punched him twice. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of Artemis and Cheshire fighting. He tried to get a look to see if Artemis was ok, but Sportsmaster managed to punch him in the face to draw his attention back. Arsenal punch back and ducked under the next one. Somewhere behind him and heard the unmistakable sounds of an approaching speedster. ‘Wally must be here,’ he thought. 

“Found the tracer on a caboose,” Kid Flash said as Arsenal attempted to shoot an arrow at Sportsmaster. “And I don’t mean Cheshire’s.”

“She must have lost it,” Artemis replied. 

‘Yeah, sure,’ Arsenal thought as he swung his bow at Sportsmatser's head, then lopped it around the man’s neck when he ducked. He managed to get behind him, but Sportsmaster simply grabbed his arm and literally threw the archer off. Arsenal landed on his back but quickly flipped over to avoid getting kicked. As soon as he scrambled back to his feet, he dropped his bow and grabbed Sportsmaster’s arm. In one fluid motion, he flipped the man over and held him down by said arm. In the next second, Sportsmaster suddenly turned to ice. Arsenal’s eyes widened as his head first, and then the arm he was holding turned into nothing more than an ice sculpture. Arsenal scrambled to his feet and stepped back. “Kid Flash?!”

“Cheshire turned to ice!” Kid Flash yelled back. 

“So did everyone in the warehouse,” Artemis reported as she joined them. “Sportsmaster was doing something for Klarion, Ivo, and Brain, but they’re all gone now. And whether they were working on is gone too.”

“Gone…?” Arsenal looked down the Sportsmaster ice sculpture as his stomach simultaneously shriveled up and twisted into knots. 

“What happened?” Aqualad asked, finally joining them, 

“The bad guys got away,” Kid Flash replied. “And apparently the bad guys include Klarion, Brain, and Ivo.”

“You mean we failed. Though the injustice League is in custody, this makes it clear that their allies still scheme. And we have learned nothing of their plans.”

“Gee, wonder why,” Arsenal almost hissed as he turned around and glared at Artemis. She glared right back though, unafraid. 

“Hey!” she protested loudly. “Who found out that Sportsmaster was working for Brain, Klarion, and Ivo?”

“Yeah, great intel, except I’m pretty sure Ivo’s still in Belle Reve!” Something like him going missing definitely would’ve been on Batman’s radar, and therefore Arsenal’s. 

“You know, I’m getting pretty tired of you dumping on her!” Kid Flash said. “We get you have issues, but she’s your teammate! You need to trust her!” Arsenal simply held up the tracer. “Her tracer, so? Cheshire ditched it.”

“No. Artemis ditched that to send us on a wild goose chase. And this one on Cheshire.” He held up the second tracer and Kid Flash’s anger melted into confusion in a second. He stared at Arsenal’s hand for a second, before rounding on Artemis.

“Were you so freaked out by Arsenal returning that you tried to take down the bad guys solo?!” It was the only logical explanation his brain could come up with 3.5 seconds. “Please tell me I’m wrong.” Artemis opened her mouth, then closed it. “Well, nice going. What you proved is that you’re insecure and selfish.” He was trying to keep it contained because of how Arsenal reacted to angry people, but he was boiling inside that she’d messed up this mission for him! Trying hard not to scowl, he threw the sai he’d taken from Cheshire down at her feet. “Take the sai.” Before Arsenal could do anything, he snatched the tracer from him. “This is the right souvenir for the mission.” Kid Flash started walking back to the bishop without another word. 

“How will you betray us next time-“ 

“Enough,” Aqualad said to him. “If making a mistake was traitorous, then we’d all be traitors. We must report back to Batman.” He started walked away, but Arsenal looked at Artemis. 

“You know Cheshire.” It wasn’t a question and left no room for denial. “You’re lying and keeping something from us. I know you are.” He turned and walked away. As he picked up his bow, he tried hard to keep his hands from shaking. Aqualad was waiting for him not too far away. 

“Do not be so hard on her.”

“We failed. The mission….is a failure. This was my chance….”

“I know.” Aqualad held out his hand and a second later Arsenal took it. “We will…. Think of something else. Some other way for Batman to keep you on the Team.”

Arsenal nodded as Aqualad led him gently back to the ship. ‘We’re going to have to.’

— — 

When they arrived back at Mount Justice, Artemis was the first person off the bioship. Kid Flash was right behind her. With a deep sigh, Arsenal stood up and started walking slowly toward the door. Before he could reach it though, Aqualad stopped him by snagging his arm. “Do not worry, Roy,” he said quietly, leaning in so they were almost nose to nose. “It will be ok.”

“I hope so,” Arsenal replied. He interlocked his fingers with Aqualad’s. “Whatever happens out there…promise you’ll stand by. No matter… No matter what?”

“I swear it.” 

“Good.” Arsenal squeezed Aqualad’s hand, then pulled away. His heart was pounding against his ribs as they disembarked from the bishop and headed for the main cavern. Batman was there with Red Tornado, along with Artemis and Kid Flash. “Batman.”

“What happened?” Batman asked stiffly. 

“The mission was a failure,” Aqualad said, stepping forward. 

“Kid Flash has already informed me of that. Why did it fail?”

“…Mistakes were made,” Arsenal replied lowly. Part of him was chomping at the bit to place all the blame on Artemis in a bid to save himself; but another, much larger part, was horrified at the idea of acting on his anger. So he squashed the anger down and stayed quiet. Batman studied him for a moment. 

“Your mission was a failure. Say good-bye, Arsenal.”

“Wait, good-bye?” Artemis asked. “What do you mean good-bye?”

“Batman and Arsenal and an agreement,” Kid Flash told her. 

“An agreement?”

“Yes,” Aqualad said. “Arsenal could return to the Team permanently if this mission was a success.” 

Artemis frowned. ‘Oh crap, please tell me this is a cruel joke,’ she thought. One glance at Arsenal's face told her no, it wasn’t. 

“Yes,” Batman affirmed. “So, Arsenal let’s go.”

“See you, dude,” Kid Flash sighed sadly. 

Arsenal’s hands shook a little bit as he watched Batman walk towards the zeta. 

“Arsenal.”

“No,” Arsenal said in a shaky voice. 

Batman stopped and looked back at him. “No?”

Arsenal nodded. “No. I- I’m not leaving.” He crossed his arms. “Not unless you plan on dragging me out.” He felt one of Kaldur’s hands settle on his back supportively. 

Batman’s eyes narrowed at Kaldur, clearly placing the blame for this on him. “Arsenal-“

“I want to stay and I want to come back to the Team permanently.”

“We had an agreement-“

“The mission went wrong, but one bad mission doesn’t mean I’m incapable of following orders. I’m… I’m not a child. And I want to be on the Team.” 

“…The rest of you leave us. Now.” 

“Go ahead,” Arsenal told Aqualad when he hesitated. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes.” He didn’t want Batman to hate Kaldur anymore than he already did. 

Once they were alone, Batman came closer. “Arsenal-” the Dark Knight began, but he was cut off the archer.

“Please, Batman. I want to be on the Team. I need to be. And I meant what I said. I won’t leave the mountain unless you let me come back permanently.” He studied Batman’s face for a moment. “I’m not a child.”

“….I know.” 

“You- You do?”

“Yes, I do.” Unfortunately, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before Roy was finding another way back here. ‘I could come up with another punishment to make him come home…’ Which would basically be keeping Roy in Gotham against his will. It wasn’t the best decision if he wanted the young man to trust him. ‘And I know first-hand how fragile that trust can be. Besides, without the Team or Arsenal, what else can I take from Roy without getting into dangerous territory?’ It almost made him proud. At only 18 years of age, Arsenal had managed what many others had tried and failed at over the years. He’d backed Batman into a corner to force him to concede. “If you ever leave Mount Justice without my permission again, I will pull you off the Team and you won’t come back. Is that understood?”

“Yes.”

“Then you are free to stay.”

“Thank you.”

“Go get Kaldur’ahm and tell him I wish to speak with him.”

“Ok.” Arsenal ran off to find Kaldur. It wasn’t hard since he just had to go down a hall, then took a left around a corner. Kaldur was leaning against the wall and he stood up straight when Arsenal got close. Arsenal was so excited that he’d be able to see Kaldur again that before Kaldur could say anything, he rushed forward and kissed him. The Atlantean was stiff with surprise for a moment, then he relaxed against the archer. This kiss was warm and nice, but a little bit of an awkward sensation. But the unfamiliarity of it was drowned out by the joy it brought. For a few seconds, the two teens held each other close. Eventually, though, they had to pull apart. “Sorry. I probably should’ve asked first, but I was kind of afraid I’d never get the chance.”

“It is fine,” Kaldur replied. “I…very much enjoyed it.”

“Good… I’m glad.”

“Would it be ok if I kissed you now?”

“Yes. But- I-I should probably tell you… On the mission Cheshire… She kissed me. I didn’t want her to, I swear and-“

“It is ok, Arsenal. I know you did not want her to do that.”

“So you’re not mad?”

“No. Of course not. And to prove it…” Kaldur gently wrapped his arms around Arsenal and spun him around. He pushed the archer against the wall carefully and leaned in to kiss him. 

Unbeknownst to them, Batman turned the corner at that moment, having decided to look for Arsenal and Kaldur when they took so long. He froze when he saw Kaldur kissing Arsenal. His eyes narrowed and his mouth thinned. Then Kaldur slipped his hand up underneath Arsenal’s shirt. Arsenal shook his head, very clearly uncomfortable, and put his hand against Kaldur’s chest. Batman’s fists clenched and he took half a step forward, but then Kaldur stepped back. 

“No,” Arsenal said. “Please don’t touch me there.”

“Ok. May I touch you above your shirt?”

“…Yeah, that’d be fine.”

Kaldur nodded and gently settled his hand on Arsenal’s stomach, above his shirt this time. When the archer didn’t protest, he leaned in again and resumed their kiss. 

After a moment’s hesitation, Batman retreated into the shadows and back around the corner. He stopped in the other hall, staring at the far wall. His brain, for some reason, went back to the last League meeting on the Watchtower. How grown up Roy looked compared to four years ago. It once again gave the Bat a sense of loss. Four years wasn’t a long time, but somehow in such a short time, Roy had grown up so much. Batman could never have imagined at scared and underweight 14-year-old he’d met on the Watchtower four years ago to be doing this. Standing up to him, kissing someone. Unimaginable back then. ‘Perhaps he is ready for a…relationship with Kaldur’ahm,’ Batman thought begrudgingly. ‘He seems…capable of understanding where he wants his personal boundaries to be and Kaldur’ahm seems to capable of respecting them.’ 

Just around the corner, Kaldur finally pulled away from Arsenal. “That was awesome,” the archer whispered. 

“Indeed. Very…awesome.”

“Oh, Batman wanted to talk to you.”

“That is information I would have appreciated before we started this.” Kaldur leaned in and gave the archer a peck on the lips. “I will be back as soon as possible.” Leaving Arsenal was difficult, but knowing the Dark Knight was waiting pushed him forward. However, Kaldur hadn’t expected to see Batman just around the corner. “Batman?” he asked, momentarily afraid. ‘Good thing we stopped when we did.’ Batman turned to look at him. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes. Arsenal is returning to the Team,” Batman replied. 

“He is?”

“Yes. And…however your relationship progresses while he’s here….for the most part, is between the two of you.”

Kaldur frowned in confusion. “Bat-“

“However, that last sentiment comes with three rules. Number One: He does not leave Mount Justice without my permission and he does not leave Gotham ever. Number Two: If you ever touch him, anywhere, without his explicit permission, there will be severe consequences. And Number Three: if you take advantage of him in any way, you will be sorry. Is that understood?” 

Understanding dawned on Kaldur’s mind. “Oh… Y-Yes, Batman. I understand.”

“Good. Tell Arsenal if he wants to spend the night here, that’s acceptable.”

“I will.”

Batman started to walk away, then stopped. “I am trusting you with him, Kaldur’ahm. Do not let me down again.”

“I will protect him, Batman. You have my word.”

Batman nodded. “And think twice and very hard before you do anything…too physical. There are cameras in every room and one of your teammates has superhearing.”

“Yes, Batman.” 

As Batman was walking away, Arsenal came around the corner. “Hey, what happened?” he asked. 

“I…am not sure… But I believe we have received his blessing.”

“Seriously?” Arsenal looked in the direction of his mentor as the zeta tube announced his departure. 

“He also said you were welcome to spend the night.” 

That made Arsenal smile. “I think I’ll enjoy that.”

“Let us go so you can change then.”

“And we can pick up where we left off?” Arsenal took Aqualad's hand and the Atlantean smiled. 

“Yes. I think that would be acceptable.”


	37. Performance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting closer and closer... Enjoy!

It didn’t take the World’s Greatest Detective to see how happy Roy was after his return to the Team. He started spending a lot more time at Mount Justice with Kaldur, usually leaving the Manor after lunch and not returning until dinner. It brought Alfred and Dick’s attitudes up to see Roy so obviously happy. Bruce meanwhile wasn’t as happy, but he kept his distrustful comments to himself. But, Roy was in the best mood anyone could be in. Even with his restricted freedoms, spending time at the cave with Kaldur was always great. 

However, despite his newfound happiness, Roy wasn’t oblivious to how increasingly worried and upset Dick seemed to be getting. Just a week after Roy was back on the Team, he returned to the cave to find Dick closing something on the Bat-computer with a worried look on his face. “What’s that?” Roy asked as he approached. 

“Nothing,” Dick said. He turned to look at Roy with a smile. “What were you up to this afternoon?”

“Kal was teaching me how to swim backward.”

“Backwards? Wow, moving up in the world.” The grin on Dick’s stayed even as his brother elbowed him. Their conversation moved on to Dick’s day at school and Roy forgot about his younger brother’s mysterious behavior. 

Until two days later. 

Roy knocked on Dick’s door, then opened it slowly. “Dick?” he called out. “Are you in here?” As he wandered in, he happened to walk past the teen’s laptop. It was open on his desk, displaying the news story. Roy frowned as he leaned over the back of Dick’s desk and read the headline. “Second Weapons Theft in Madrid.” He furrowed his brow a little bit, but before he could read anymore, the top half of the laptop suddenly closed. 

“Why are you looking through my stuff?” Dick asked. 

“Uh…I was looking for you and it was just…open. Why were you looking at that article?”

“It’s for a homework assignment.”

“You had like four tabs open for that one article.”

“I like to compare stories.” Dick crossed his arms. “What did you want?” 

“I just wanted to see if you wanted to spar with me before we leave for patrol.”

“Sure. Let’s go.” It didn’t escape Roy that Dick waited for him to leave first. So he did, but not before glancing back at the laptop as he left. 

The subject didn’t come up again for another few days. The next time it did, Roy decided to join his brother in the den; having been forced to stop practicing his archery by Alfred. As he passed behind Dick, he glanced at the laptop screen and stopped. ‘More about the weapon thefts?’ His eyes skimmed the article, then popped back up to the web tabs. ‘And the schedule for Haly’s International Circus?’ As if he could sense his presence, Dick suddenly turned around and gave him a half-glare. 

“What are you doing?” Dick asked. 

“Uh…nothing. I just- What exactly are you doing?”

“I told you, it’s a homework assignment.”

“Dick…whatever it is, you can tell me.”

“There’s nothing to tell. I’m working on homework.”

“…Ok.” Roy sat down in an armchair and opened the book in his lap. It was hard to focus because he kept glancing up at his brother every few minutes. Dick didn’t seem to notice though, because he was engrossed in his laptop. However, Roy did notice that Dick’s face kept contorting in anger and confusion. It was silent between them for the entirety of the time they spent in den together. After almost two hours, Dick suddenly closed his laptop and left the room. ‘Something’s going on with him,’ Roy thought, pretending to read his book. ‘Something. I’m sure of it.’ 

The week of Christmas, Roy came downstairs to maintenance on his trick arrows when he saw Dick pacing and muttering to himself. It caused Roy to pause on the stairs, standing there watching him. Whatever was on the teen’s mind, it was so pertinent that he didn’t even notice that Roy was there. Curious and even a little concerned, Roy stood there, silently, and waited for Dick to notice his presence. When it didn’t happen after nearly ten minutes, Roy walked the rest of the way down the stairs and cleared his throat. The noise caused Dick to jump. 

“When did you get here?” Dick asked. 

“…A little while ago,” Roy replied evasively. “What’s going on with you? I was here for ten minutes and you didn’t even notice-“

“Nothing’s wrong. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“No, something’s wrong. I can tell.”

“Roy-“

“Dick. Come on, it's me.”

Dick crossed his arms and sighed. “There’d been a string of high-profile weapons thefts in Europe. All of the thefts have coincided with stops by Haly’s. I hacked some international databases and…Interpol is investigating the circus. They think someone inside Haly’s is committing the thefts.”

“Well…are they?”

“No! No one in the circus would ever do anything like this!” 

“Ok, ok. So, what’re you going to do?”

“The only thing I can do. Find the real criminal and turn them in so Interpol will leave Haly and the circus alone.” Dick sighed. “I have to go to Europe.”

“You’re going to Europe?!”

“Shh! Not so loud, I don’t exactly want Bruce to know about it!”

“Yes, because your legal guardian definitely shouldn’t know when you’re planning to leave the continent.”

“I have to do this, Roy. The circus is- was my home. It’s still an important part of who I am.”

“You can’t go to Europe alone, Dick!”

“I’m…not going alone…”

“Who’s going with you? Wally?”

“…Actually no, but…the rest of the Team is.”

“You’re going with the Team?! But you don’t want Bruce to know-“ Roy stopped as his brain put all the pieces together. “You’re going to lie to the Team. You’ll tell them its an official mission.”

“…Yeah.”

“Dick, you can’t do that!”

“I have to!”

“Dick-“

“Look, I know you freak out at the very thought of any kind of lie, but not all lying is bad. Sometimes you have to lie for the right reasons. I have to do this. I owe it to Haly and to- to my parents. My dad practically grew up there and Haly’s meant the world to them. I have to stop it from being shut down. I have to.”

Roy studied the earnest expression on his younger brother’s face. ‘I know that look…’ He sighed. “Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Yes, fine. I won’t tell Bruce. You have to go to Europe and fix this, so we’ll go to Europe and fix this.”

“We?” Dick frowned. 

“Yes, we. I’m part of the Team too, in case you forgot.”

“Yeah, but… Roy, Bruce was furious when you went to a dance, how do you think he’ll react when you leave the country?”

“He’ll be mad.” Which Roy felt like was a severe understatement. “But I’m not letting you go to Europe alone.”

‘It’s not really alone,’ Dick thought. “Let’s go then. We have some thieves to catch.” 

— — 

“Madame and Monsouire. Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to Haly’s International Traveling Circus!” Haly raised his arms as the spotlights focused on him. “Where the world this evening, is your oyster. And these are your latest pearls: the Daring Dangers! Dan Danger!” The spotlight shone on Robin, who swung from a platform on a trapeze bar. “Dawn Danger.” Miss Martian swung out and jumped to Robin’s bar as he flipped off it. “Diane Danger. Dane Danger.” Arsenal and Artemis each pulled back the arrow they had nocked to their bowstrings. “And finally, Dean Danger.” Superboy threw two barrels in the air and the two archers aimed their arrows. Robin and Miss Martian went through the barrels just as the arrows whizzed past. They came out safe on the other side and caught their trapeze bars. “Amazing, folks! You’ll never see another trapeze act like this! And all performed without a net!” 

Arsenal looked up at his brother. Robin had flipped off his bar again and was flying out toward Miss Martian’s hands. For a second Arsenal felt the usual joy he did at seeing his brother on the trapeze; then Robin missed Miss Martian’s hands. In the blink of an eye the teen was falling towards the ground, fast. 

‘Robin!’ Miss Martian yelled through the mind link. Arsenal took a step forward subconsciously as his brother fell. 

‘Don’t blow our cover!’ Robin called back to Miss Martian. 

‘Is saving your life ok?’ Superboy asked as he threw a barrel up at Robin. The teen landed on it and it carried him back up toward Miss Martian. Arsenal watched with bated breath as Robin reached up for Miss Martian’s hands and made it. 

‘What did I say?’

‘The crowd can’t see me using my telekinesis from below.’ 

‘Just let her save your life!’ Arsenal hissed at his brother through the mind link. 

‘Besides, I’ve been using it all night. I’m not exactly the acrobat you are.’ They landed on the platform and waved at the crowd down below. 

‘Yeah, neither am I right now,’ Robin replied. ‘I think I caught that 24-hour bug that’s been going around the circus.’

‘Then maybe you should go back to the trailer,’ Arsenal told him. 

‘The show must go on.’ 

Arsenal rolled his eyes as Miss Martian and Robin climbed down the ladder and joined everyone else. As soon as they were close, Arsenal put his arm around Robin. Instead of complaining, the two of them joined the rest of the team in waving to the crowd. 

“Put your hands together for the Daring Dangers!” Holy yelled as they waved. 

‘Didn’t think I could make it through,’ Miss Martian said through the mind link. 

‘Me neither,” Robin replied. ‘Backstage.’ Arsenal forced as he noticed a bead of sweat making their way down his brother’s face. “Bro, you can back off.”

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Arsenal asked. “Because-“

“I’m fine. I-“ Robin stopped as Superboy elbowed him. The three of them turned to see Haly talking to two twins. 

“-was your slot until you missed the performance in Paris,” Haly was saying. 

“Carlo was sick!” one of the twins insisted. “He’s better now!”

“Plus those Dangers are a sham!” the other one, Carlo, added. “They say they’re brothers and sisters, but they don’t even look alike!”

“Ah, you just don’t like the competition,” Haly replied as he brushed past them, right into the face of a man in a suit. “Not you again! We’re in the middle of a show!”

“We’ll talk after then, but we will talk,” the man replied. “Another city, another technology firm robbed, another stop on your tour. If I prove you’re responsible, I will shut you down.”

“I’ve got three minutes to grab props and get back in the cinder ring.” Holy brushed past the man, who turned to the Dangers. 

“Agent King Faraday.” He pulled out an Interpol badge and showed it to the Team. “New act?”

“Yeah,” Robin replied. “Just joined the tour.”

“Probably clears you. Don’t get too comfy though. Haly’s going down for this.” As the agent turned away, 

Arsenal noticed that Robin’s eyes were narrowed and his whole body was rigid. And like that, Arsenal knew the agent was on his brother’s list. Fantastic. 

— — 

Later that night, the Team converged on a warehouse in Bruges. 

‘If Interpol’s already on this, why are we bothering?’ Superboy asked, finally saying the question he’d been wondering since they’d met the agent.

‘Batman said so,’ Robin replied. ‘Why? You have something better to do?’ He got no reply. 

‘How do we know the thieves will hit here?’ Artemis asked. 

‘There are more obvious targets,’ Arsenal added. 

‘And Faraday had them covered,’ Robin replied. ‘But I’ve analyzed the tech already stolen and the patterns suggest this is the place.’ He wiped his brow with a noticeable grimace. 

‘How do you feel?’ Miss Martian asked him. 

‘Lousy actually, but I’ll manage.’

‘Contact, northeast quadrant!’ Superboy said suddenly. They all watched as a shadowy figure ran up to the fence around the warehouse and flipped over it. ‘Guess we know why Carlo missed a performance.’

‘Maybe it was Carlo, maybe his brother. Keep an open mind. And move in.’ Arsenal followed his brother closely as they cleared the fence and snuck around the buildings. Not long after that, they heard a huge bang! as Superboy landed. “Anyone see where he went?”

“The warehouse,” Superboy said after a few seconds. They moved quickly, taking back to the roofs and going in through the windows near the top of the building. They snuck along the catwalks on the upper level. Below them, the thief used a crowbar to pry open a crate of technology. Robin’s cackle suddenly filled the space. 

“Caught you red-handed,” the teen smirked as the thief stood up and turned around. “Probably red-faced, too.”

“Acrobatics can’t get you out of this,” Artemis said. The thief simply raised something and a column of flames was suddenly shot at them. Arsenal and Artemis threw themselves back to avoid being burned. The Team retreated quickly as the flames seemed to spread and follow them. 

Arsenal stopped briefly behind something and aimed his arrow; until the label on one of the crates got his attention. “Those boxes are full of live ammo!” he yelled. “Move!” They headed for the windows but knew they wouldn’t be making it in time. They need up under a piece of metal that had formed a small cave-like structure. Superboy and Miss Martian pulled pieces of metal in front of the opening to protect them. The loud explosion that followed the fire made them all jump. After waiting a few seconds, Superboy pushed away from the now slightly fused-together and melted, metal pieces. 

“That guy’s dead meat!” Superboy growled as he started to run off into the fire. 

“Superboy, no!” Robin yelled as he stepped out of their shelter with Miss Martian’s arm draped over his shoulder. “You need to get her out of here.”

“He’s getting away!”

“And that matters more than Miss M?”

“The fire’s killing her,” Arsenal added as he pulled Artemis out of the shelter. The other archer gave him a look and shoved his hand away. However, his words made Superboy stop and think. 

“Right,” Superboy nodded. He took Miss Martian in his arms and took off running. 

“Artemis, Arsenal,” Robin said. “Go after the thief-“ He suddenly stopped talking when he pitched forward. 

“Because he matters more than you?” Arsenal asked as he and Artemis caught Robin, then helped him to his feet. “Yeah right. You’re still off your game, bro. We’re getting you out too.” They each pulled one of Robin’s arms over their shoulders and helped him out of the burning warehouse. 

— — 

The following day, they were leaving the circus tent and heading for their assigned trailer when they saw Haly talking to Agent Faraday. “Another weapons plant is hit, and once again the circus is in town,” the agent said. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“I don’t care what you believe,” Haly replied. “My people are not responsible. I did a bed check last night, every single member of my troupe was asleep in their bunks.”

‘Well, we sure weren’t,’ Artemis noted through the mind link. ‘And if he’s lying about us…’ 

Robin glanced down, which caused Arsenal to put his hand on his shoulder. ‘Let’s go back to the trailer so we can regroup,’ Robin said, brushing his brother’s hand off. 

Arsenal frowned little and started to follow, bringing up the rear of the group, when something made him stop. He looked to his right and saw Haly, now alone, watching him. Unsure if he should say anything, Arsenal ducked his head and quickly caught up with the others. It was lightly snowing as he walked across the circus grounds. A shiver went through the archer’s body as he made his way to their trailer. ‘Snow is even colder when you’re just wearing a vest.’ He pulled open the door of their trailer and let himself into the room where everyone was sitting. 

‘So two thieves, right?’ Artemis asked in the mind link. ‘The fire breather and the acrobat.’

‘Just in different clothes,’ Miss Martian agreed. 

‘Maybe more than two,’ Robin replied as he activated his hologolve. “Here’s the Madrid security footage.’ Everyone watched closely as they saw a man trying to open a window, and then the footage changed to another one walking across some wires like a tightrope. 

‘So…the clown and the strong man too?’ Arsenal asked cautiously. ‘If they’re also involved than Haly himself might be the mastermind.’

‘It would explain his lie,’ Miss Martian agreed. 

‘We don’t know that!’ Robin almost snapped, glaring at his brother. “I told you to see an open mind!’ Without saying another word, he got up and left the trailer. 

Arsenal winced a little as Robin left. “I’m gonna go talk to him.” He let himself out of the trailer and a small smile grace his lips. Robin’s feet had made tracks in the freshly fallen snow. Arsenal followed the tracks slowly so he wouldn’t miss anything. It led him away from their trailer, and the newer parts of the train. It wove to the cars that typically held equipment and seemed much older. The walls of these trailers were covered in posters of old acts from the past. Arsenal came to a stop when he saw Robin standing in front of one. He hesitated long enough that Robin started walking again, apparently talking to himself. Moving as silently as he could, Arsenal snuck up to the poster that Robin had been looking at. When he saw it, his face fell even more and his stomach dropped. It was a Flying Grayson’s poster, identical to the one in his brother’s room at home. ‘Oh, Dick…’ he thought sadly. ‘I knew coming back here would be hard for him.’ Arsenal turned away from the bright poster and continued following Robin. He found him standing in front of a poster of a woman painted in a rainbow of colors. 

“What do you want?” Robin asked, not even turning around. 

“To talk.” Arsenal walked closer as he talked. 

Robin scoffed. “You’ve already made your opinion perfectly clear.”

“Robin-“

“You know, I thought you of all people would understand what Haly’s means to me-“

“Robin-“ 

“Or what it’s like to be judged based on the actions of others-“

“Dick!” The last word came out as a hissed whisper since Arsenal was very aware that they were on a “mission”. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to hear it, but right now all the evidence is pointing toward Haly and various members of the circus being guilty. You have to admit how the evidence makes this look.”

Robin turned around to face Arsenal. “What if you were me? If it was someone from the reservation being accused, would you believe the evidence?”

“…No. I wouldn’t.”

“Exactly. I have to prove it’s not Haly because it’s not.”

“I know, but-“

“I need you to be with me on this, bro. Please.”

Arsenal sighed. “Ok, fine. But are you ok?”

“I’m fine.”

“Dick…”

Robin took a deep breath and sighed. “Whether or not I’m ok is irrelevant. I need to clear Haly’s name, so I will.” 

Arsenal didn’t like the answer, but he didn’t think he’d get a better one. “Ok.”

“Let’s go warm up before the show.” 

“Uh-huh.” Arsenal followed Robin back towards the circus tent. ‘He says he’s fine, but he’s not taking us past the poster again.’ A small stone of guilt settled in his stomach. ‘Maybe I should’ve told Bruce and stopped him from going. But I couldn’t do that. Nit even Bruce would’ve been able to stop him and I would do the same thing in his position.’ It looked like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

— — 

The show went off without a hitch that night, much to Arsenal’s relief. He really couldn’t handle watching his brother almost fall to his death another time; even if Robin was feeling better. As they were leaving the tent, they heard Haly yelling to the crowd, “And that’s our show! Farewell, good people of Bruges!” A few seconds later he stuck his head through the curtain. “Pack it up! The train leaves for Geneva in two hours!” 

Arsenal had his doubts that the whole circus could be packed up in two hours, but he was incredibly surprised. With everyone doing their assigned jobs, which included Arsenal and Superboy helping to take down the trapeze rigging and the tent poles, the large task was finished in just under the two-hour time frame. It crossed Arsenal’s mind that was probably the kind of work Robin’s dad, uncle, and older cousin had probably done when packing up before they moved on. A glance over at his brother showed him that Robin almost seemed to have a smile on his face as he packed equipment away. A twinge of something Arsenal couldn’t really identify pulled at his chest. After everything was packed away, Arsenal and Robin were standing by the train, watching Miss Martian talk to Ray about something when Haly walked by. 

“Everyone, all aboard, now!” he ordered.

‘He’s in a hurry,’ Arsenal thought, but wisely kept his words to himself. He followed Robin to their car on the train, then into one of their assigned rooms. The rest of the Team joined them, with Superboy helping Miss Martian in. 

“I’m not feeling too well,” she said as he helped her lay down. 

“Maybe you have what R- Dan had,” Artemis suggested. She looked at Robin. “You look better.”

“I feel better,” Robin replied. “Sorry, M- Dawn. I hope you didn’t catch it from me.”

“I feel so silly,” Miss Martian replied. “Who knew a Martian could be vulnerable to a human virus?”

“Uh…H.G. Wells?” Arsenal rolled his eyes. “Look, when did you first feel sick?”

“Just after we boarded the train. It came on suddenly.”

“Same with me the other night. Right after Ray rubbed my head for good luck before we went on.”

“Ray?” Superboy asked, his interest piqued. “The roustabout? He touched her before we boarded. The guy must be a walking petri dish.”

“Yeah, yeah, maybe.” Without any further clarification, Robin suddenly ducked out of the room. everyone looked at Arsenal, who shrugged. They followed their younger teammate out into the small hallway where they found him talking to Haly. 

“Ray?” Haly asked. “Picked him up at the start of the European tour. Poor guy’s down with the flu like the rest of them.”

“We’ll check on him,” Artemis said. “It’s the least we can do.” Arsenal and Superboy followed her to Ray’s room. When they walked inside the light was out, automatically causing Robin and Arsenal to be on high alert. 

“He can’t be that sick,” Superboy noted when the group saw the empty bed. 

Something else had attracted Arsenal’s attention though; a crate with the word ‘Elephant’ stamped on it. “Does this circus have an elephant I don’t know about?” he asked to no one in particular. 

“Not on foreign tours,” Robin replied as he walked over to his brother. 

Arsenal pulled the top of the crate off. “Empty-“ A change in the texture of the bottom of the crate caught his eye. “No, wait.” He reached in and ran his finger along the bottom. “Ash.”

“The fire in Bruges…”

“Uh, guys,” Artemis said. She had another crate open. “I found Ray.” She pulled out a mask of Ray’s face. 

“Split up! Search the whole train!”

“I’ll go with you,” Arsenal said to Robin. 

“It’ll go faster if we each go alone-“

“I’m going with you.” The two of them had a short stare-down, which Arsenal eventually won. 

“Fine. Let’s go.” 

Arsenal could feel the weird looks he was getting from the others, but he ignored them. ‘Dick’s not thinking straight on this case. I need to keep his focus objective and clear. Plus, he needs someone right now. I’m not letting him out of my sight if I can help it until the mission is over.’ The two of them wandered down the train, looking for Ray or anything suspicious that could point to his whereabouts. They actually passed their own room, which allowed Arsenal to quickly grab his bow as a precaution. Robin was quiet the entire time, whether it was from irritation or focus Arsenal couldn’t tell. The two of them were walking down the train when a muffled banging and shout caught their attention. Robin stopped and located the sound within seconds. He kicked down the door closest to him and gasped. Arsenal followed him into the small room where Haly was tied up and gagged against the wall. 

“Who did this to you?” Robin asked as he pulled the gag off Haly’s mouth. 

“Ray!” Haly replied. “Ray the roustabout! Right after the train left Bruges!” Robin got up and ran out of the room, Arsenal right on his heels. “Hey, I’m not Houdini here!”

Robin was weirdly quiet as they ran down the hall. Before Arsenal could say anything though, his brother’s hand felt to his comm. “Dawn, come in,” he said. “I tried to reach you…uh, the other way.” He was quiet for a moment. “That clinches it. Dean, Diane, come in. We’re chasing someone who’s stolen Dawn’s, act. Whole shtick if you catch my drift.” 

‘Of course!’ Arsenal thought. ‘Looks like Dick might’ve been right.’ Everything was quiet for a few moments as they searched for ‘Ray’. 

“Got him!” Superboy said suddenly over the comms. “But he’s on to me! Exiting the dining car now!” Another few seconds of silence. “He’s gone topside!” The two vigilantes ran for the closest door to get them outside. As they pulled themselves up to the roof of the train, they heard Superboy say, “That won’t work on me clown!”

“That’s no clown!” Robin said, pointing at the clown. “It’s Parasite. The guy who once stole Superman’s powers!”

“As if you kids are who you claim to be. Please,” Parasite replied. He titled his head back and the clown face melted away. 

Arsenal and Superboy started to approach him, but Robin stopped them. “Stay out of his reach. There’s no flu going around. The weakness comes when he gets physical contact and feeds off the powers and abilities of others.”

“I have been a bit of a glutton today. I’ve chowed down on the skills of nearly every loser in this troop.” Arsenal had to grab Robin’s arm to keep him from bolting forward in anger. “But my…the piece de resistance was Dawn Danger.” As he spoke Miss Martian climbed up onto the roof with them. “Or whatever her real name is. Thought I’d munch on her trapeze skills. Imagine my surprise when she tasted like Martian Manhunter instead.” As he talked Artemis joined Superboy on his side of the roof. “She made a lovely appetizer, but guess who I want for my entree.” Before they could do anything, he waved his arm and used telekinesis to pull Superboy to him. He lifted the clone up by his neck as Superboy struggled to pull away. Artemis and Arsenal both raised their bows.”Now that’s the full-bodied Kryptonian flavor I love!” 

“Everyone, stay whelmed! Subdue, but keep your distance!”

In response to the bows, Parasite blasted Artemis’ bow and then Arsenal’s with laser vision before they could even react. “You know, I almost never say this, but I’m sated.” He dropped Superboy. “Hate to eat and run.” He started to fly away, using telekinesis to levitate the trunk he had behind him. Robin leaped into the air to follow, using the trunk as a jumping off point to try and reach Parasite. “No hitchhikers.” The thief reached back and knocked Robin back to the train, where he bounced off the roof and over the edge. 

Miss Martian reached the acrobat first and caught his hand to keep him from falling. She was still weakened though and struggled to pull him up. Arsenal was at her side in an instant and put his hand on his brother’s wrist. As he started to pull with her, Artemis joined him and they all pulled Robin back onto the train. When his brother was safely back on board, Arsenal put a hand on his back. “Conner!” Miss Martian yelled, running over to Superboy. “You alright?”

“Fine, fine,” Superboy replied as he got to his feet. 

“You’re drained,” Robin said as he pushed himself to his feet and brushed off Arsenal’s worried hands. “Parasite took more powers than you even have. Heat vision?”

“I have the genetic potential for it. Must’ve been enough for him.”

“Gah!” Robin walked back towards the door to the train and the others followed. 

“Go, I’ll manage,” Arsenal heard Superboy say to Miss Martian as he lowered himself back into the train. 

When they got back to their rooms, they changed into their suits and reconvened. Robin held up a flash drive. “It's not a complete debacle,” he explained. “I picked Parasite’s pocket. I got this flash drive.” He plugged it into his hologlove while Arsenal rolled his eyes. 

‘At the expense of nearly falling off a damn train,’ he thought. He didn’t get a chance to dwell on his irritation though because Robin had the flash drive contents hacked in no time. 

“Looks like Parasite’s working for Intergang. Everything he’s stolen, they’re all pieces of something. Putting together a weapon that generates…blackholes?!”

“Come on,” Arsenal replied in disbelief. “To build that you need a particle accelerator.”

“Like the large boson collider in Geneva?”

“The circus’ next stop! But now that Parasite can fly he’s got a big head start on us.”

“Sorry,” Miss Martian said. 

“Not your fault,” Robin told her. “But this thing could wipe out entire cities. We need to hurry.” 

“You and I need to hurry,” Arsenal said as he reached up to the bunk above and pulled an extra bow from under his mattress. “Without powers, the others will hold us back.”

“Hey,” Artemis objected. She pulled out a small crossbow. “You’re not the only one with a backup bow.”

Arsenal had to bite back that a crossbow wasn't a real bow and, in his mind, didn’t even qualify someone as a real archer. Before he could say anything at all though, a sudden bang made him jump. He looked over at Superboy and discovered their teammate had punched the wall of the train. 

“My powers are back,” Superboy explained. “I guess Kryptonians recover faster than Martians.”

“Don’t even think about leaving me behind,” Miss Martian added. 

Arsenal was a little hesitant, not able to shake the feeling that something just wasn’t adding up here, but he nodded anyway. ‘There’s no time to argue. We need to stop Parasite.’ 

— — 

When they got to Geneva, the Team split off from the circus quickly. Upon reaching the facility that contained the large boson collider, they found a guard injured and nearly unconscious outside. 

“Trail of destruction,” Robin noted. “This way.” The young heroes ran on past the guard, who they all knew would live, and into the facility. When they got inside, they crouched down behind Robin to look at his hologolve. He pulled up a feed of the security cameras to see what Parasite was doing. Unfortunately, they witnessed Parasite starting up his blackhole generator. “We need to take him down,” Robin whispered. “At least lure him away so we can safely disengage the-“ Before he even finished Superboy ran over to the wall with a scream of rage that caused Arsenal to jump back and punched his way through the wall. “Wait-“ 

Unfortunately, Superboy didn’t listen and right on up to Parasite. “Seconds?” Parasite asked. “I couldn’t.” The villain dragged him closer with Miss Martian’s powers, but Superboy was prepared and punched. The momentarily freed him so he could get a few feet of distance, but Parasite recovered quickly. He punched Superboy off his feet, then dragged the young hero back again. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Arsenal growled in frustration. He raised his bow, glue arrow ready, but Miss Martian stopped him. 

“Wait,” she instructed. 

While she explained her plan, they watched as Superboy was thrown into the ceiling and fell all the way back to the ground. He got to his feet relatively quickly, but then Parasite pulled him in and lifted him by his neck again. 

“How do you do it, kid?” Parasite asked. “Even Superman never re-charged this fast.” Superboy groaned and went limp in the villain’s grip. Parasite threw him to the side as the generator continued powering up. “Alright, Dangers, come on out. Only a couple minute before this baby’s done warming up. And eating Geneva.”

“What do you think?” Miss Martian whispered. 

“Big risk to take on a theory,” Arsenal replied in repose to her plan. 

“Do it,” Robin instructed. “Go!”

Miss Martian went out first and walked right up to Parasite fearlessly. “So what’d you have against Geneva, anyway?” she asked. 

“Never liked the food,” Parasite replied. “But it keeps improving.” 

“I’m just the appetizer, remember?” As Parasite dragged her forward, she rolled dune this arm and kicked his feet to distract him. While his attention was diverted, Arsenal shot him with a foam arrow. 

“Foam? You think foam can hold me?” His eyes glowed and Arsenal’s bow was suddenly ripped out of his hands. The archer was dragged dint the air and his limbs contorted painfully. “Or crushing you with a thought? Combined Martian and Kryptonian powers here.” He leaped up out of the foam, which held fast.

“But what do any of those free you before I sabotage your death thingy?” Robin asked, already at the controls of the generator and typing away. 

“This one does.” He shot at Robin with his laser vision, forcing him to retreat from the panel. Artemis shot a crossbow bolt at him but he shot the weapon out of her hands, but not before the bolt hit him and dispersed a gas. Arsenal dropped to the floor beside her as the laser vision set the foam on fire. The flames surrounded Parasite as he stood up, now seemingly freed. “So clever. Trick me with igniting flammable gas. But you forgot, invulnerability. Fire…can’t…touch me…”

“Unless you make a meal of my powers,” Miss Martian noted. “And get my weaknesses as a side dish.”

“No!” Parasite looked down at the flames in horror, but it was too late. He fell to the ground, nearly unconscious in seconds. 

“Aww, poor baby. Something you ate?”

Meanwhile, Robin walked over calmly and powered down the generator with just a few keystrokes. The vigilante let out a sigh of relief when to had powered down completely. 

“We’ll take it from here,” Agent Faraday announced as he walked in with two other agents, who were carrying fire extinguishers. They put out the flames as they walked, then quickly snapped an inhibitor collar around Parasite’s neck. “Thanks for the tip by the way. Definitely helps to prep the inhibitor collar in advance.”

“Glad to be of service,” Robin replied. 

Meanwhile, Arsenal was trying to get to his feet when he saw Artemis’ hand. He hesitated for a moment, then took it. “Wow,” Artemis smiled. “He danes to touch my hand.”

“Mind open,” Arsenal replied, remembering what Robin and said earlier. ‘We lied to the Team for a very good reason. I guess maybe, whatever she’s hiding…it might not be such a bad thing after all.’ 

— — 

When they got back to the circus train, the rest of the Team started to head to their rooms to get their stuff. “You guys go on ahead,” Robin said. He grabbed Arsenal’s hand to stop him. “We’ll see you in a few.” 

“Where are we going?” Arsenal asked as his brother pulled him toward a different part of the train. 

“We have to give Haly the good news.” 

Arsenal wasn’t sure why he needed to be there for that since Robin was really the only one who believed in Haly’s innocence from the very beginning. “Even if you got very emotionally invested in this case.”

“Hey, some cases deserve an emotional investment.” Robin glanced at Arsenal with the last couple of words. 

When they entered the ring master’s trailer, Arsenal hung back as Robin told Haly both his and the circus’ names were officially cleared. 

“So the show will go on,” Haly said, “And I have the feeling I have you, Dangers, to thank.”

“Don’t know what you mean,” Robin replied. 

“No, of course not. But I’m guessing you’ll be leaving now.”

Robin nodded and shook Haly’s hand. “Time to move on.”

“Well, Dick, I’ll miss you.” 

“D-Dan! Dan Danger,” Robin insisted while Arsenal boiled up straight in the doorway. 

“Son, you’ve grown, but some things never change. Like the sight of a Grayson on the trapeze. Can’t fake that, can’t hide it.”

‘You really can’t,’ Arsenal thought in silent agreement. 

Robin glanced at Arsenal from the corner of his eye, then smiled. “Since the cat’s out of the bag, Haly, there’s someone I want you to meet.” He gestured to Arsenal, who hesitated, then slowly walked further into the room. “This is my older brother, Roy.” 

“Nice to meet you, son,” Haly said warmly as he shook Arsenal’s hand. It made him genuinely happy to know that Dick had found a new family. “I hope you’re taking care of our little acrobat, here.”

“I’m…doing my best,” Arsenal replied. 

“I’m sure you are.” Holy turned back to Robin. “So, will you do an old ringmaster one last favor?” 

— —

That night, Arsenal stood in the ring as Haly announced the farewell performance of the Daring Dangers. His eyes almost never let this younger brother as he flipped and flew through the air with ease; a glorious and radiant smile across his face. ‘Maybe he’s right’ the archer thought as he aimed his bow, thinking back to what Dick had said before. ‘Maybe some cases do deserve an emotional investment. Even if it’s going to come back and bite us in the end.’


	38. Noel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas in April! (The week before Easter, lol.) This is the last chapter before we get into the last two episodes of season 1, and the final stretch of the story. Enjoy!

When Robin and Arsenal got back to the Bat Cave after returning home from Europe, Bruce was waiting for them. He stood with his arms crossed, a stern and angry look on his face. As the two younger vigilantes got closer, they took their masks off. When they stood in front of him, Bruce didn’t even say anything. He stood there and stared at them silently. 

“It was my idea!” Dick blurted out suddenly after a full five minutes of silence. Bruce looked down at him. “It- The mission was all my idea. Roy just- went along with it.” Another five minutes of silence. 

“Why?” Bruce asked eventually. “Why would you do something so irresponsible?!”

“I had to help Haly. That circus was my home, Bruce. It was my family’s home. My dad and uncle practically grew up there. I had to help. I looked at those robberies and I knew something wasn’t adding up. I followed my instincts and it paid off because we stopped Parasite from activating a black hole generator.” 

“Regardless of the outcome, you went to Europe without my permission, or without telling me at all.”

“I know.”

“You’re grounded, for two months. No patrol, the Team will go on no missions, and you will only go to Mount Justice for training, then come straight home. Is that understood?”

“Yes.”

“Go upstairs.” 

Dick glanced at Roy, then nodded and headed upstairs. With the teen gone, Bruce turned to Roy. He crossed his arms and neither of them said anything for a minute. 

“…You didn’t say I couldn’t go to Europe,” Roy muttered eventually, glancing at the ground. 

“Do you think this is a joke? You let Dick go to another continent! You’re 18, an adult, and you followed a 13-year-old to Europe! Why would do something-“

“No.”

“….What?”

“No. You- You can’t blame me for things that Dick does. We both know that there was no way he wouldn’t have gone. Even if you had locked him in his bedroom, he would’ve found a way out. I knew that, so I went with him. To keep him safe and watch his back. I made the right decision and I don’t deserve for you to be placing every bad decision Dick makes on me.”

The last part threw Bruce for the biggest loop. ‘Did he actually- Is he really stating a standard of how he wants to be treated?’ That was something Roy had never done. Despite how angry he was, pride welled a little bit in Bruce’s chest. ‘No, I have to make sure Roy understands he can’t be sneaking out of the country.’ Bruce swallowed the pride and tried to hide its presence. “You still put yourself in harm's way-“

“I can’t keep hiding forever. Logically, Oliver had no reason to ever know I was in Europe. He’s dangerous and scary, but not omniscient.”

‘Well, he kind of has a point.’ Bruce resisted the urge to nod. “You still left the country without telling me and went on an unsanctioned mission. You’re also grounded for two months. You can only go to Mount Justice for training and no electronics or patrol. Understand?”

“Yes, Bruce.”

“Ok. Now go upstairs. It’s Christmas Eve and Alfred wants you boys to hang your own stockings.” 

“Yes, Bruce.” Roy walked past Bruce, a small smile crossing his face. ‘I wasn’t even afraid,’ he thought. ‘It never occurred to me that he might hit me or throw me out and I was able to just…stand there and talk to him.’ Pride swelled in Roy’s chest, making him feel warm despite his grounding. ‘I really did that. Is this what it’s like being an adult?’ This is probably what Dinah was always talking about when she talked about Roy living a mentally healthy life. ‘Alfred will probably be mad at us too, but I survived Bruce, I can definitely survive Alfred. Plus, its almost Christmas.’ That made him actually smile. ‘Guess Dick was right in the end.’ 

— — 

Christmas morning, Roy was the first one up. When he climbed out of bed he took a moment to admire the snow covered Manor grounds. He smiled suddenly, then let this bedroom. As silently as possible, he tip-toed down the hallway to Dick’s room. When he opened the door, he poked his head in and discovered that his brother was still sound asleep. An evil smile spread across his lips and in the next instant, he ran across Dicks’ bedroom and threw himself onto his young brother’s bed. “Dick!” he shouted. 

“Gah!” Dick yelled when Roy landed beside him and one of his arm’s landed across the teen’s chest. Instinctively, Dick grabbed the wrist of the person on top of him, but it only took him a few seconds to realize it was just Roy. “Ugh! What are you doing?”

“Waking you up.”

“Why?!”

“Because for three years you woke me up at the crack of dawn on every major holiday, including my birthday, so now I’m returning the favor.” 

Dick scowled at Roy and reached out for a pillow. He grabbed it and slammed the pillow into Roy’s face. “Go away!”

“No!” Roy laughed as he batted the pillow away and his broth could see the annoyingly upbeat smile on his face. “Get up.”

“Roy, I’m tired.”

“That’s what you get for traveling halfway around the world.”

“Ugh…”

“Come on!” Roy grabbed the pillow and hit Dick with it. “Let’s go!”

“Fine.” Dick glared at Roy as he sat up. “I hate you.”

“I thought you loved Christmas?”

“I do, I just want to love it at a later time in the day. Say…9:30?”

“Not a chance.” Roy rolled out of the bed as Dick tried to hit him with another pillow. “Come on.” 

“Fine.” Dick sat up and stretched, briefly resembling a cat with the way his back arched, then got out of bed. “I’ll go get Bruce and meet you downstairs.”

“Ok.” Roy went downstairs to the den where the Christmas tree was. He found a pile of presents under the tree and his and Dick’s stockings were practically overflowing with treats. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered a thin, faded stocking nailed to the wall (modesty filled with candy), next to a fake Christmas tree filled with traditional and homemade ornaments where a handful of presents sat underneath. It was a far cry from the full, beautiful, evergreen in front of him piled with gifts in shiny paper. However, despite the differences between the two scenes, both of them filled him with joy. The muffled sounded of running footsteps, followed quickly by a weight appearing on his back pulled Roy out of his memories. 

“What do you think the division is?” Dick asked as he wrapped his legs around Roy’s torso and his arms around his neck. “Huh? 60-40? 70-30?”

“You both have equal amounts of gifts under there,” Alfred informed them as he walked in, carrying a tray of coffee. 

“Uh-huh.” Dick slipped down off Roy’s back and sat on the floor in front of the tree. “Can we start now?”

“Wait for Master Bruce.” 

“Fine…” Roy joined Dick on the ground and smiled a little bit at how his brother fidgeted. Finally, after a couple of minutes, Bruce joined them in the den as well. He sat down with Alfred on the couch and accepted a cup of coffee. “Now?” 

“Yes, go ahead.” 

Dick grabbed two presents, then handed one to Roy. While the teen was tearing into his gift, Roy carefully pulled back the paper on his own. “A new laptop?” he asked in confusion when he saw the box underneath. “What’s wrong with my old one?”

“Nothing,” Bruce replied evasively. “I just thought you could use a new one.”

“Oh, ok…” Roy didn’t believe that, but he set the computer aside and reached for another gift. This one was square and had some weight to it, automatically making him think of a book, and had an envelope taped to the front. Frowning in confusion and a little bit in curiosity, Roy pulled the envelope off first and spend it. Inside was a piece of paper with three codes on in. “What is this?” he asked. “Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics? Engineering Analysis 1? Machine Element Design?” He looked at Bruce. 

Bruce leaned forward and set his coffee down. “Those are the course codes, for online classes that you will be able to take at Gotham University starting next month.”

“…These are classes? Like…actual, college classes?”

“Yes. All of them are related to mechanical engineering, which I thought you’d find interesting so you can continue to make more sophisticated trick arrows. I know there are some designs you haven’t managed to make work yet, so maybe there’s something you can learn in these classes that will help.”

“How did you do this?”

“I registered you under a fake name and identity. Since the classes are online completely, it won’t require you to actually appear in person anywhere. Plus it will give you something…structured to do with your time.” 

“This is… Wow, I love it.”

“You do?”

“Yeah! Thank you!”

“Open the gift underneath.”

Roy tore the shiny wrapping paper off the second part of the gift. “Textbooks?”

“The ones you’ll need for the classes.”

“Is this why you gave me the new laptop?”

“Yes. Your new one already has the software and programs you’ll need to do the work for the classes. The old one wouldn’t have been able to handle it.”

“Thank you, Bruce. It’s awesome.”

“You’re welcome.”

Roy started looking through the textbooks, idly flipping through and imagining having a professional teaching him all these topics. ‘Some of these will definitely be useful for trick arrows…’ 

“Hey!” Dick yelled. He threw a balled up piece of wrapping paper at Roy. “Keep up, I’m already three presents ahead of you.”

“You’re impatient.”

“It’s Christmas, the perfect time to be impatient.”

Roy rolled his eyes, but reluctantly set aside his textbooks and went on to open his other gifts. They were nice, books, clothes, a new bow and set of arrows, and two new pairs of sneakers. However, none of his presents excited him as much as the first one. He had something to look forward to for at least a few months after the New Year, and he would have the skills he needed to build even more advanced trick arrows. His brain was already mentally revisiting older designs that he’d long ago tossed aside because he thought it was too advanced for him to attempt. ‘Once I get through these classes I’ll be able to build them no problem though.’ It made him impatient for the classes to begin. Another ball of wrapping paper being thrown at his head forced him to focus on what was happening today though.

“I have another gift for you,” Dick said as they cleaned up the wrapping paper in the den. “Upstairs.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. Meet me in my room once you put your presents away.” 

Roy’s eyebrows raised a little bit, but he didn’t ask anything else. He gathered his presents into his arms, then brought them upstairs. Intrigued by what Dick could have for him, but mindful that even on Christmas, Alfred didn’t condone them spending the whole day in their pajamas, he hurried to shower and get dressed. When he was dressed, Roy went next door and walked into Dick’s room without bothering to knock. “What’s this present?” 

“Close the door.” 

Even more, intrigued, Roy did so, then walked over to Dick. “What is it?”

“Here.” Dick handed Roy a small flip phone. 

“What’s this for?”

“Look through it.”

Roy did so and scrolled through the contacts first. His eyes widened when he saw the names that were there. “Logan? Jake?” He looked at Dick. “Are they-“

“The friends you kept sneaking out of the Manor to see? Absolutely.”

“How?”

“Bruce can destroy the phone all he wants, but the SIM card is a lot more durable than the plastic it was encased it.” Roy smiled and wrapped his arms around Dick. He lifted his brother up, much to the teen’s annoyance. “Stop! I’ll take it back!” Dick scowled a little Roy put him down. “Why do you do that? I’m not a kid.”

“You’re still my little brother.” 

“I’m not little!” Roy chuckled and ruffled Dick’s hair. “Get out.”

“Uh-huh. See you in a few minutes for breakfast.”

“Whatever, out.” 

‘Teenagers,’ Roy thought as he left and Dick shut the door. ‘So dramatic.’ Not wanting Bruce to catch him with his phone, Roy slipped into his bedroom. His hands were practically shaking in excitement as he started texting. ‘Hi, Logan, it’s Ray.’ He wiped for a few minutes with bated breath. He didn’t have to wait long to get a response. 

Logan: HOLY SHIT RAY??? DUDE, WAT HAPPENED??? I TRIED 2 TXT U AND U NEVER ANSWERED

Roy smiled, slightly concerned that he’d upset his friend, but also happy that Logan was his friend and cared enough to be concerned when he’d stopped responding to texts.

Ray: Sorry had a lot going on.

Logan: you ok dude?

Roy frowned a little. ‘Am I ok? I’m on the Team again, I have Kal. Bruce is being…less controlling.’ Compared to how things were, he supposed this was better. That sounded like ok to him. 

Ray: I’m ok.

Logan: Good to know. I have to go to breakfast at my dad’s but I’ll text you later dude

Ray: Ok. Merry Christmas

Logan: Merry Christmas bro

The last message brought a smile to Roy’s face. Something warm burned in his chest as he texted Jake next. 

Jake: Ray good to hear from ya! We were worried

Ray: I’m ok, just had a lot going on

Jake: good to know you’re ok. How’s Kalvin?

Ray: He’s really good.

Jake: Good, good. The 4 of us need to hang out again soon

Ray: that’d be great 

Jake: cool. G2G, but we’ll talk later bro. Merry Christmas 

Ray: ok, Merry Christmas

’I have friends,’ Roy thought, his smile and the warm feeling growing. ‘I have friends. Real friends whose interests are outside of being a superhero. Normal things that normal people would have an interest in.’ It was far more than he’d ever imagined himself having when he went to lived with Oliver nearly six years ago. ‘By the time I was 13, I thought I’d just be alone and never have any normal friends ever again. But I do and I made it to adulthood.’ The last thought made him stop for a moment as he started to make his way downstairs. ‘My life is so different now. I’m in a far better place than I ever thought I would be.’ A knock on the door made brought Roy out of his thoughts. 

“Roy, come on!” Dick said. “It’s time for breakfast and then movies!”

“Ok, I’m coming!” Roy called back. He hid the phone in the back of his closet, then opened his bedroom door. 

“Come on, Alfre made waffles with toppings.” 

“Sounds good.” 

Dick frowned as they started walking. “Are you ok? You have a weird look on your face.” 

“Yeah. I’m fine. I’m just….thinking.” 

“About what?”

“Nothing, Dick. It’s nothing.” Except it didn’t feel like nothing. The thoughts kept running through his head on a loop in Roy’s head over and over again. He couldn’t help but find himself lost in thought throughout the day. It wasn’t as bad during breakfast, but once he, Dick, and Bruce retreated to the Manor’s home theater for their tradition of watching Christmas movies, it became slightly more problematic. Despite Roy usually loving this part of the day, he couldn’t stay focused on anything he was actually watching. He kept thinking, again and again, about how different he was now compared to when he was with Oliver and when he started living with Bruce. 

‘It’s not like everything is ok,’ a voice in his head argued halfway through the second movie. ‘Ollie still out there you know. You know him, he’s probably still angry.’ 

‘He’s in Star City, sure, but he’s not here in Gotham. He wouldn’t come here again. So…if Bruce were to let me start doing all my work solo in Gotham, just…being a solo hero in the same city, then it could work.’ The thought actually caught him off-guard. Being a solo hero? Not working with Batman and Robin anymore? Was that really what he wanted? ‘Why not? I’ve solved solo cases and successfully completed missions. I’m an adult. I could do it. I’m sure Bruce would let me.’

‘Are you really an adult if you’re asking for permission?’ a voice wondered in the back of his head. 

‘Well…I can’t just…demand it.’ Except he’d already demanded Bruce let him back on the Team. Demanded that Bruce respect his boundaries and stop treating him in a way that he hadn’t liked. ‘But this is different. I would be just…leaving them.’ And, if Roy was being honest with himself, he wasn’t 100% sure he wanted to leave. He loved Dick, and being away from his brother seemed like a hard thing to do. Working with Batman was always exciting and it wasn’t terrible. ‘But if I don’t leave now, then when will I?’ Unfortunately, it didn’t feel like he had an answer. A hand settled on him, which caused Roy to jump and snap his attention out of his introspective thoughts. He turned his head and found Bruce giving him a slightly concerned look. 

“Are you ok?” Bruce asked. “You’ve been really quiet and I’m not sure if you were paying attention.”

“Yeah,” Roy replied. Something in the back of his mind felt the need to post out how the gentle touch on the back of his hand didn’t make him nervous. Roy told the voice to shut up. “I’m fine, Bruce. Really. I’m good.” 

“Ok.” Bruce moved his hand away and turned his attention back to the screen. 

Roy turned his attention to the movie as well. He wrapped the blanket he’d brought with him, the Navajo blanket he’d gotten on his first Christmas in the Manor, tighter around his shoulders. ‘I don’t have to decide today, or tomorrow even. For now, I should just enjoy the holiday and how good things are.’ He nodded to himself. It was very important to remember just how good things were right now. 

As Bruce was changing the next movie, Dick sat up straight, as if suddenly realizing something. “Hey B, isn’t the League inducting their new members on New Year's Eve?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Bruce replied.

“…So, will our grounding affect us going?”

“I imagine it would.”

Dick opened his mouth, then closed it. He seemed to think about his next words carefully before he spoke. “If we agree to have a week added to our grounding, can we go to the ceremony with the rest of the Team?”

Bruce raised his eyebrows while Roy gave Dick a strange look. 

‘Bold of him to assume I’m on board with that,’ the archer thought. 

“Does Roy agree with this?” Bruce asked. Dick gave Roy a look, clearly asking for him to be on board. 

‘I do really want to go,’ Roy thought. He nodded. “I’d be ok with that.”

Bruce was quiet as he sat back down. “…Ok. You two can attend the ceremony, but I will add a week to your grounding in exchange.” 

‘Better than nothing,’ Roy thought as he and Dick sat back in their seats. As he did, he saw the victorious smirk on his brother’s face. ‘We don’t win a lot of arguments with Bruce. And I get to spend time with Kal. I think it’s a good trade.’ He smiled a little bit as he snuggled in his blanket. ‘Yeah, it’ll be a good trade.’


	39. Usual Suspects

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. Going forward, updates will only be on Sundays. Enjoy this chapter and I'll see you next Sunday with Auld Acquaintance. Let me know what you think.

As they watched the Justice League induction ceremony from inside the Hall of Justice, Arsenal still felt he and Robin had made the right decision. ‘This is so worth having an extra week of being grounded’ Arsenal thought as he stood next to Aqualad, watching the ceremony on the tv. 

“The Justice League was formed for several reasons,” Superman said to the assembled reporters. “First: As an acknowledgment that no single individual, no matter how powerful, can solve all the world’s problems alone. And second: to uphold the values of truth, liberty, and justice. That last one’s even in the name.” 

Arsenal smirked, imagining what was going through Batman’s head at that last comment. He glanced at Robin and saw his brother was smirking the same way. He turned his attention back to the screen. 

“These four heroes have sworn to uphold those values.” 

The camera cut back to Cat Grant, who was, as usual, giving helpful commentary. “You are watching live coverage of the Justice League inducting their four newest members,” she said to the camera. “Looks like the entire League as shown up to welcome the new blood.” As she talked the camera panned across the rest of the League. “Everyone from Batman to Captain Marvel.”

“I’m glad they didn’t kick Billy out.” Kid Flash said before taking a bite of an apple. “And I love the fact that there’s a ten-year-old on the League.”

“There is?!” Rocket asked in astonishment. 

“Way to keep it a secret, genius,” Robin said as he elbowed Kid Flash in the ribs. 

“Ow!” Kid Flash protested. “Hey, she’s on the Team now, right?”

Arsenal rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the screen. 

“Superman is now handing out official League membership cards, starting with Dr. Fate,” Cat Grant said. Arsenal saw Robin put a comforting hand on Zatanna’s shoulder. “The Atom. Plastic Man. And Icon.”

“You know, I was the one who convinced Icon to become a hero in the first place,” Rocket said. “I should be outside celebrating with him. Not hidden away in here!”

“Welcome to our world,” Aqualad and Arsenal said at the same time. They shared a smile. 

“I can’t wait until one of us makes it,” Kid Flash said, almost longingly. 

“Yeah, then no one will call us sidekicks anymore,” Robin added. 

“Wait, since when is being a sidekick a bad thing?” Rocket asked. “You sidekicks were my inspiration.”

“Well…see… 6 months ago it-“ A beeping from Robin’s wrist cut him off. He turned on his holowatch and studied it. 

“So there you have it,” Cat Grant was saying as Arsenal moved to stand behind his brother and read over his shoulder. “The world’s officially a safer place.” 

“Guys,” Robin said. Kid Flash, Aqualad, Zatanna, and Rocket joined them. The speedster and Atlantean gave them similar looks and nodded. 

“Let us go,” Aqualad instructed. “This is Team business.” The young heroes all departed back to Mount Justice through the zeta tube. 

— — 

“A-Are you sure it’s her?” Artemis asked as the Bio-Ship flew through the Smokey Mountains. 

“See for yourself,” Robin replied. He brought up the footage on the front window of the Bio-Ship. “This is the security footage from the Asheville Regional Airport.” The footage stopped and zoomed in on a figure with a hat getting on a plane. “Facial recognition confirms Jade Nguyen. But you’ve seen her without her mask. What’d you think?” 

“…It’s Jade. Cheshire.”

“Agreed,” Aqualad said. “But focus on what she carries.” The focus of the picture moved down to the object in Cheshire’s hand. “Is that the briefcase you saw in New Orleans? When they got away?”

“Yes.” 

“Ok,” Rocket said. “I’m guessing from the mugshot that this Cheshire is the bad guy. But what’s so important about that case?”

“Remember the Injustice League?” Robin asked as he brought up a picture of the group. 

“And the giant evil plants? Uh, yeah.”

“The Team put them in prison,” Aqualad explained. “But their allies still scheme. Whatever is in that containment case seems important to their plans.”

“We had a chance to grab it in New Orleans,” Arsenal said. “But someone screwed up.” His eyes flickered to Artemis under his mask. 

“Approaching Cheshire’s jet,” Miss Martian said. A few seconds later she let out a small gasp. Arsenal’s eyes widened and his mouth opened a little bit. Below them on the snow-covered ground was a plane crash site. “Looks like there were no survivors.” 

“Bring us down,” Aqualad ordered. The Bio-Ship got close enough to the ground that they could disembark, then took up back to the sky with a wave of Miss Martian’s hand. Almost like it was keeping watch. 

As they searched through the wreckage, Arsenal couldn’t help but feel a pang in his chest when he thought of Cheshire dying. She was the bad guy, sure, but did she really deserve this kind of end? A glance at Artemis made him think the other archer may have been thinking the same thing. 

“Why aren’t Homeland Security and the NTSB all over this?” Kid Flash asked. 

“Cheshire’s ID was a League alert,” Robin explained. “Authorities didn’t pick it up and her plane didn’t follow it’s flight plan. It flew under the radar. Literally. But the Watchtower auto tracked the jet and recorded the crash.”

“Then why isn’t the League here?” Rocket asked. 

“Because our Boy Wonder has some mighty hacking skills and arranged to get the alert first,” Zatanna explained.

“Don’t encourage him,” Arsenal said as he gave his brother a light shove. “Cheshire and that case also represent our unfinished business.”

“Yes,” Aqualad agreed. “It is as I said. This is Team business.”

“Where are the bodies?” Superboy asked as he threw a piece of a wing.

“Here’s one,” a familiar voice said. They looked up to see Cheshire, alive and well, standing on a cliff above their heads. “And it is stunning.”

“I am flora, not fauna!” another voice said from behind. Arsenal and Robin spun around and almost groaned. “I am foliage, not trees. What am I?” Riddler snapped his fingers and metal poles that were each topped with a ball rose out of the snow. Each one starts glowing and before any of them could react, a glowing green dome appeared over them. “Oh, come on. You can get this! I am shrubbery, not grass. I-“

“Am bush,” Robin and Arsenal said at the same time with equal tones of being unimpressed. 

“Didn’t you think we’d be tipped you were on Cheshire’s trail? We’re tired of your interference, kiddies. This is the endgame. Ordered from above and executed by their master strategist.” 

‘Miss Martian, is everyone linked?’ Aqualad asked over the mind link.

‘Yes,’ Miss Martian replied. 

‘Go!’ 

Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver as he ran and nocked it to the bowstring. Behind him, he could hear Zatanna casting a spell. 

“Ekahs siht ebolgwons!” she yelled. The snow starts blowing at the soldiers, right in their faces. Arsenal shot an electroshock arrow at one of them, then fired a glue arrow at another, who managed to dodge it. 

“Superboy, the pylons,” Aqualad ordered as he took out one of the soldiers. 

“Working on it,” Superboy replied. 

Arsenal threw himself down into the snow to avoid the red blast coming from the blasters the soldiers carried. Fighting against the cold that seeped through his suit, Arsenal flipped himself over and fired up at one of the soldiers. The blast shot down his arrow, then shot at Rocket, knocking her over. The archer jumped to his feet and fired off three arrows in rapid succession. As he did he ran in half-circle, too fast for the soldier to follow. His next arrow hit the soldier right in the neck and he was electrocuted. There wasn’t time to enjoy his victory though, because Arsenal had to keep firing up at the other soldiers on the cliffs around them. He heard Aqualad and turned around. Without even thinking, he fired off an arrow that hit the soldier and enveloped the enemy in glue. He pulled another arrow from his quiver, but something Robin said over the mind link made him stop. 

‘SB, you’re flying!’ Robin yelled. Arsenal looked up and his eyes widened because, yes, Superboy was indeed flying, pulling one of Riddler’s accomplices into the sky with him. 

‘Rob!’ Arsenal thought. His brother looked at him and the archer nodded his head up at Riddler and Shimmer. The small bird nodded and they started climbing the cliffs. Thankfully, Superboy threw Mammoth into the forcefield, then beat him into the side of the cliff with super fast punches and the ensuing avalanche was keeping their targets distracted. Nonetheless, Robin threw down smoke bombs. He threw one of his daggers soon after and Arsenal shot an arrow. The rope Robin threw trapped Shimmer and Arsenal’s electroshock arrow took her out. They stepped out of the smoke to deal with Riddler, but before they could Zatanna, who was also flying, raised her hand at him. 

“Tekcajtiarts!” she yelled. A glowing white light appeared and wrapped around Riddler’s body like a straight jacket. 

“Ah! No!” the villain yelled. “I’m not the straight jacket type! Am I strictly, Belle Reve! Not Arkham!” He fell over as both vigilante’s rolled their eyes. 

“He’s totally not whelmed,” Robin muttered. Arsenal nodded in agreement. 

“Gag mih!” Zatanna added. More glowing light wrapped around Riddler’s mouth. In Arsenal’s opinion, it was a vast improvement. “Hguone htiw eht ebolgwoans!”

The snow started to die down as Robin and Arsenal carefully climbed back down the cliff toward the rest of the Team. 

“We need to alert the authorities, then regroup,” Aqualad instructed. “Cheshire got away again.” He looked at Superboy. “And I believe we have much to discuss.” 

“Guess everyone’s keeping secrets,” Robin muttered to Arsenal. 

“Yeah,” Arsenal agreed, glancing over at Artemis. “Guess so.”

— — 

When they got back to Mount Justice, unsurprisingly, Batman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, and Icon were waiting for them. 

“Tell me if this sounds familiar,” Batman said lowly. “You hacked League systems, disobeyed protocol, and endangered your lives. And your initiative resulted in the capture of three escaped felons and revealed Warden Strange runs Belle Reve as a cover for criminal activity. Well done.” Robin looked back at Arsenal and they shared a small high-five behind the bird’s back. “And then there’s this.” He looked at the contents of the case that they’d retrieved. Biotechnology integrated with some form of nanocircuitry.” 

“Though I am unfamiliar with the species,” Icon said as he picked up one. “this biocomponent is clearly not of Earth.”

“We’ll take it to the Watchtower for further study.” Batman shut the case, then he and Red Tornado departed through the zeta tubes. 

As Icon and Black Canary approached though, Rocket broke away from the group and ran up to her mentor. “Congratulations on the League thing,” she said. “Sorry I skipped out.”

“Yes, well, we both seem to have found Teams that suit us,” Icon replied. His comment made Rocket smile. 

“We should go too,” Black Canary advised. “Don’t want to miss the League’s induction party.”

“You do realize we were set up,” Robin said once the last two League members had left. 

“Yes,” Aqualad confirmed. “Cheshire and Riddler were…tipped for us.”

“Not the mole thing again!” Artemis sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

“Mole thing?” Rocket asked uncertainly as she approached. “Again?”

“We had intel that there was a traitor on the Team,” Kid Flash explained. 

“Mainly Artemis, M’gann, and me,” Superboy said, pushing through the group. 

“It is more complicated than that,” Aqualad began, putting his hand on Superboy, but the clone brushed him off. He started to walk away, but Aqualad followed. “But your recent behavior does concern me. Your attack on Mammoth nearly got Artemis killed.” That’d made Arsenal’s eyes widen and he looked at Artemis. Somehow he’d missed that in the fight. Superboy didn’t say anything, but did double over, like he was in pain for a few seconds. “Superboy?”

“There’s something I need to do. Something I need to tell you. Last month, on Thanksgiving, I went back to Cadmus. Found a few things out. When I was cloned, only half the DNA was Superman’s. The other half was human. That’s why I don’t have, will never have, full Kryptonian powers.”

“Are you sure?” Arsenal asked. “Because you sure seemed to have them today.”

“I’ve been using these.” Superboy raised his sleeve to reveal a dark, pentagon shape on his arm. “Shields. They suppress my human DNA. I get the flight, the heat vision…but I think I also get angry. Well, angrier. I’m sorry.”

“Where did you get those?” Aqualad asked. 

“From my human father. Lex Luthor.”

“Lex?!” Arsenal asked, almost demanded. 

“Luthor is your dad?!” Robin asked incredulously. 

“He’s summoned me to Santa Prisca.”

“…Ah, listen,” Artemis said before anyone could react to the rest of Superboy’s news. “Superboy’s not the only one suffering from bad DNA.” She went over to the computer and pulled up three pictures. “My mother is Huntress. An ex-con. The rest of my family aren’t even ex. My dad’s Sportsmaster and he’s sending my sister, Cheshire, to fly me to Santa Prisca too.”

Arsenal’s mouth hung open in shock. ‘That explains so much,’ he thought. 

“That’s why…” Kid Flash began, but Artemis interrupted. 

“Yeah,” she confirmed. “I was so desperate to make sure none of you found out.”

“You knew,” Arsenal said, looking at Robin. His brother was the only one who didn’t look surprised. 

“I didn’t think it mattered,” Robin replied. He looked at Artemis. “You’re family. You’re one of us.” 

Arsenal swallowed, trying to ignore the warning bells going off in his head. ‘Her dad is a villain,’ he thought. ‘But…I guess I really don’t have room to judge her too harshly for that. Glass houses and all that.’ 

“So,” Kid Flash said as he walked toward Artemis. “Who’s next?”

“I am,” Miss Martian said. 

“I swear I was kidding.”

“Queen Bee’s been…blackmailing me. She wants me in Santa Prisca too.”

“Blackmailing?” Aqualad asked. “How?”

“She knows my…true Martian form.”

“Bald M’gann?” Robin asked. “Who cares-“

“No,” Miss Martian interrupted. She sighed and began to transform. Her skin became white and she grew taller with longer limbs. Everyone gasped a little and took half a step back in shock. “I knew you would never accept me as I truly am.”

“M’gann,” Aqualad said. “Did we truly seem so shallow?”

“I couldn’t take the chance. Being a white martian among the green on Mars…I endured constant rejection. I couldn’t face that from-“

“From me?” Superboy asked. He walked forward and held one of her two-fingered hands. The two of them were silent, but the rest of the Team assumed they were having a telepathic conversation. 

“Anyone else?” Rocket asked, looking around at them. 

“…I used to work for Green Arrow,” Arsenal added, almost casually. Rocket and Zatanna gave him looks of shock.

“Damn, you guys don’t do things by half around here.”

“We try,” Aqualad replied. “But now we must decide how to proceed.”

“Do you have a plan?” Artemis asked as they all gathered around him and Miss Martian transformed back into her green form. 

“I do.” 

— — 

Crouching in a tree, Arsenal was doing his best impression of a gargoyle he’d ever done. His bow was still held securely in his hand, but he held it close to his body so that it wouldn’t give away his position. Both he and Robin had been stationed closer to where their friends were meeting up with their enemies, having volunteered as the immediate backup. From here he was invisible, but he could hear what was going on. The sound of sphere alerted him to Superboy’s arrival. ‘Step 1,’ he thought. 

“Welcome Superboy,” Lex Luthor said. “I’d like to introduce you to my associate, Queen Bee.”

“My pleasure,” Queen Bee replied. 

“I believe you know everyone else. Sportsmaster, Mercy, Blockbuster. And our new friend Bane who’s allowed us use of his island in exchange for certain…considerations.” 

“So the Injustice League was just a distraction,” Superboy said. “You two have been behind everything from the start.”

“A faltering notion, son. But we have many friends.” The sound of an approaching helicopter overhead almost drowned out the last couple of words. He couldn’t make anything out until the blades topped, but he didn’t need to worry. 

“The hero thing wasn’t working out,” Artemis said, her voice carrying to Arsenal easily. “You get how it is, no trust. This is where I belong.”

“It’s a fast growing club,” Queen Bee told them. It was quiet for a few seconds, then Arsenal heard Miss Martian. 

“Why are they here?” she asked. “You promised.”

“I’ve kept your secret and my promise. Now, you keep yours.” A second of silence. “Good girl.” It took every once of willpower Arsenal had not to grit his teeth. 

“Give me more shields, and I’m in too,” Superboy said. 

It was quiet for a few seconds. “My boy,” Luthor said. “You're a terrible liar. Red Sun.”

“What do you want us to do?” Artemis asked. 

“You two, follow me,” Sportstmaster instructed. 

“W-what about Superboy?” Miss Martian asked. 

“He’ll be fine,” Queen Bee assured her. “He simply requires a few…adjustments.” That made Arsenal’s eyes widen, but he stayed put. 

“Bring him along,” Luthor ordered to someone, though Arsenal couldn’t be sure who. Nothing happened for a few seconds, then he heard the unmistakable sounds of one of the foam arrows he’d given Artemis being deployed. 

“Sorry, Dad!” Artemis shouted. “Wanted to play you like you tried to play me, but I can’t let ‘em mess with Superboy’s head!” There was silence, then the sound of Artemis yelling again. More since then a loud think and nothing from Queen Bee. The unmistakable explosion of another arrow reached them. 

‘Queen Bee is down,’ Miss Martians said over the mind link. ‘Superboy, you’re safe from her control.’

“I may not be much of a liar,” Superboy said. “but I fooled you.”

“And I’m so proud,” Luthor replied. “I take it Miss Martian cleaned Red Sun from your mind?”

“And confirmed Aqualad, Robin, Arsenal, and Kid Flash rescued me from Cadmus before you had time to install any other programming.”

“All sure. Personally, I blame Dr. Desmond.” There was a loud crash that Arsenal guessed was Blockbuster breaking free and a loud rumbling. He had to fight against his muscles to stay in place. They couldn’t move yet. The sound of rapid gunfire broke through the trees, but still, he forced his muscles not to move. More shots fired back. 

“You have been a very naughty girl!” Sportsmaster yelled, his voice carrying over the gunfire. 

‘Guys, reinforcement time,’ Artemis said over the mind link. 

‘Finally!’ Arsenal and Robin thought at the same time as they jumped down from their hiding spots. Rocket flew on ahead and Kid Flash was on the ground right behind her. The two vigilantes broke through the tree line in time to see Bane getting juiced up. 

“I’ve got Bane, go help Artemis!” Robin told his brother. 

“But-“

“Go!”

Arsenal nodded and ran to help the other archer. 

“Time to go,” Luthor said, picking up Queen Bee. Just as he and Mercy were leaving though, Aqualad jumped down from his own tree and pointed his water bearers at them. 

“You and Queen Bee are not going anywhere,” he said. 

“Young man, if you expect to detain me, talk to my attorney.” Mercy’s arm became small cannon and she shot Aqualad knowing him out of the way. 

Meanwhile, Arsenal was reaching Artemis. He saw as Sportsmaster threw a chain at her and knocked her to the ground. Whatever was at the end of the chain disarmed her when she fell. 

“You know I don’t tolerate disobedience, Artemis,” Sportsmaster said as he approached. His words struck something deep within Arsenal and he fired an arrow at the man. Unfortunately, Cheshire somehow managed to slice it out of the air. As Arsenal ran at them, she spun around and met him with a sword to the throat. “Uh-uh, you know the rules, Jade. That archer is untouchable.” 

“What?” Artemis asked, suddenly unsure. 

“We have a friend who is very interested in your savior here,” Cheshire explained. “But would he come to save you if he knew you were the reason we knew so much about your little team?”

“Nice try,” Arsenal replied. “But I know Armies would never willingly betray us.”

“Oh yes, willingly.”

“What’re you saying?” Artemis asked her. 

“Your arrows, dear sister, have been a fountain of information. We’ve been sneaking in special ones that have microphones, cameras, GPS trackers, nanotech scanners, everything we could need to gather intel on your Team and the League.” Both Arsenal and Artemis gaped at her. The realization hit them both like a ton of bricks. 

“No…”

“Oh, yes.”

“Where did you get those arrows?” Arsenal asked, his brain already forming an answer. One he didn’t like. 

“Who else but an archer that has been dying to get his hands on you, Arsenal?”

“Green Arrow.”

“Ding, ding ding. We have a winner.” 

“Enough talk, Cheshire,” Sportsmaster said. He looked down at his younger daughter. “Just goes to show ya, kid, you really can’t trust anyone.”

“Oh, I know, Dad,” Artemis said. “Jade and I learned that the hard way.” 

Kid Flash swiped past Cheshire, allowing Arsenal to take a swung at her. His punch kept her distracted enough for Kid Flash to come back around and hit her again. This time he took her out. He tried to do the same to Sportsmaster, but he managed to use the speedster’s momentum against him and threw Kid Flash into a tree. Across the clearing, Arsenal could see his brother’s fight with Bane wasn’t going well as Robin was thrown into the side of the helicopter. 

“Etaerc Nibor snoisulli!” Zatanna yelled, pointing her hand at Robin. In puffs of smoke, more Robins appeared around him. 

‘He’s fine,’ Arsenal decided, turning his attention back to Sportsmaster. He and Artemis kept shooting off arrows but Sportsmaster was throwing the ball on the chain at them. Arsenal could shoot while he was moving, but he could tell his partner was less skilled at it than himself. ‘I’m also out of trick arrows now.’ 

“Arsenal, Artemis,” Aqualad said. “Now!’ 

Both archers jumped up to grab a tree branch overhead. They watched as a black goo spread across the ground and Sportmaster sunk into it. A smirk spread across Artemis’ face and she dropped down on her father’s head. Arsenal dropped onto the ground next to her. 

“Jade!” Sportsmaster yelled to Cheshire. 

“Sorry Dad,” Cheshire replied, taking her mask off for a moment so they could see her smirk. “But in this family, it's every girl for herself.” 

Artemis stepped forward and kicked Sportsmaster in the face to stun him. She then pulled his mask off and turned around. Kid Flash was slowly redoing the group, so she threw the mask at the speedster’s feet. “Souvenir,” she said when Kid flash joined them. 

A smile crossed Arsenal’s face at how satisfied Artemis looked. Then he remembered the conversation with Cheshire. “Artemis,” he said. “Your arrows.”

Artemis gasped. “You’re right!” 

“What about them?” Kid Flash asked. Instead of answering, Artemis took the remaining arrows from her quiver, then handed them to Arsenal. As they were approaching the rest of the Team, he could hear their conversations. 

“It is always like this?” Rocket asked. 

“Told ya,” Zatanna confirmed. 

“Hey, disaster averted,” Robin added. “I’m feeling the aster.”

“Agreed,” Aqualad told him. “This has been a good day.”

“I really hate to rain on the parade,” Arsenal said. “But we have a problem.” Everyone turned around to look at him and Artemis. 

“I was the mole,” Artemis said. Everyone gave her looks of confusion. 

“Kind of! She wasn’t doing it intentionally.” Arsenal held out the bundle of arrows in his hand. “These arrows have been tapped with microphones, cameras, scanners, and GPS trackers. Sportsmaster and Cheshire have been putting them in her quiver without her knowledge.” He looked at Robin. “The arrows were made by Green Arrow.”

“Green Arrow?!” Robin demanded. “He’s involved in this too?!”

“Looks like it.”

“Then he has been spying on the Team and you,” Aqualad said. 

“Yeah.”

“We need to tell Batman and the League,” Robin said.

“…..Tomorrow. Batman is already concerned enough with the biotech we recovered. For now, destroy the arrows. We will deal with this one we have rested.”

Arsenal nodded. He took three exploding arrows from his quiver, then tied Artemis’ arrows to them. Holding the bundle gently, he chucked it as far as he could into the sky, then shot the last exploding arrowhead at them. The bundle exploded in bright light and a loud bang! “That should do it,” he said.

“Great…” Artemis said, her voice sounding kind of defeated. It caused Arsenal to look at her. “Even when I’m not actively working against the Team, my presence is still a liability.”

Arsenal sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself. Using people is what Green Arrow does best. You couldn’t have prevented it.”

“It just wanted to be different than them…”

“You are Artemis. I get that, I really do, and I promise you are different. You don’t have to be the person they wanted you to be.” Artemis raised her head and gave him a small smile. “I’ll give you some of my arrows for now, but I’ll personally make sure you have new arrows to use.” 

“Maybe some trick arrows of my own?”

“…You got it. I’ll even show you how to use them.” 

Artemis smiled even more. “Thanks, Arsenal.”

“You’re welcome.” His gaze lingered over to where the debris of the arrows was littered. ‘Ollie was spying on me the whole time.’ The thought sent a shiver down his spine. ‘I can’t believe this. Tomorrow we’ll tell Bruce what’s been happening. I destroyed the arrows. What else could Oliver possibly do?’ 

— — 

Meanwhile, up on the Watchtower, Batman was analyzing the biotech the Team had found. He was so absorbed in his task that he hardly even noticed when someone’s footsteps entered the room. The footsteps didn’t disturb Batman, who assumed it was one of his teammates trying to get him to join the party again. The person took one of the biotech chips and put it against the back of Batman’s neck. A smile crept across his face when it absorbed into the vigilante. 

“Bet you thought I’d forgotten, huh, Batman?” Green Arrow asked, his voice smug. “I’ve been waiting for this day, for years. Let’s go.” He guided Batman out of the room he’d been working in and out into the main room of the Watchtower. As they walked, Green Arrow couldn’t help but admire his handy work. He’d been up in the rafters, waiting. He’d been waiting there ever since he’d hacked the zeta tubes and snuck into the Watchtower; while it was empty with the entire Justice League at the Hall of Justice. With the League completely unsuspecting, he’d shot them with specialized arrows in order to infect them with the biotech chips. Unfortunately, his ability to hack the zeta tube had only been enough to get himself on the Watchtower, but that was fine. “Open the zeta tube.” His smile just got bigger as Batman complied. 

“Override,” Batman said mechanically. “Batman, 02.”

“Recognized,” the zeta tube said. “Access granted. Vandal Savage. A-04.”

When Vandal Savage stepped out of the zeta, all the Justice League members knelt to him. “Well done, Green Arrow,” he said as he approached. “You have done everything we required of you.”

“And now you’ll help me get Roy?” Green Arrow asked, eyes glancing down to Batman. 

“Absolutely. I am, after all, a man of my word. Your wayward sidekick will be returned to you as your reward for all your hard work.” 

“Good. Speedy and I are overdue for a long…chat.” Green Arrow smiled as he cracked his knuckles. ‘You’re mine, Roy. Batman can’t protect you now!’


	40. Auld Acquaintance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, it's finally here. This chapter is long. I went back and forth on splitting it up, even while I was editing it. In the end, I decided to leave it as one big chapter. If you hate the length I apologize, but I felt like this was the best route to go. 
> 
> So, without further ado, the Season 1 finale. 
> 
> Enjoy.

When the Team arrived at Mount Justice, the feeling of victory still remained. Even the knowledge that Oliver had been spying on Arsenal didn’t fully dampen the archer’s sense of accomplishment. He nudged Artemis once they’d disembarked from the bioship. “Do you have any arrows here?” he asked. 

“Yeah, in the weaponry,” she replied. 

“We’ll have to destroy those too. Here.” He took half the arrows out of his quiver and gave them to her. “Until I can make sure you don’t have compromised ones.”

“Thanks.” 

“We have reason to feel proud about yesterday’s victories,” Aqualad said as they walked down the hall toward the main cavern. 

“And we found out how the bad guys were getting inside intel on us,” Robin added. 

“Yeah, and now we know none of us really was the mole!” Kid Flash said. He looked at Artemis. “No one willing at least.”

“Yes,” Batman said. He and Red Tornado were standing in the main cavern when the Team arrived. “Your unwitting mole was Artemis, through arrows that had been made by Green Arrow.” The Team stared at him in shock, minus Robin and Arsenal, who crossed their arms and gave their mentor almost suspicious looks. 

“And how do you know this?” Robin asked. 

“I deduced it.”

“From?”

“Information that is above your hacking abilities,” Red Tornado explained. Arsenal took a subconscious step toward Robin. There was something…wrong about this conversation. 

“Green Arrow managed to figure out how to trick our zeta tubes into letting him on the Watchtower from the information he gathered when Artemis was transporting in them,” Batman went on, like the whole conversation made sense. “Luckily, we were prepared and we overpowered him and Vandal Savage when he tried to get Savage on board as well.”

“What happened to O- Green Arrow?” Arsenal asked. 

“Unfortunately, he got away. League members are currently pursuing him and Savage.”

“The Team will assist-“ Aqualad began but was cut off. 

“Negative. Green Arrow has been an adversary of the Justice League for many years. Leave him to us.” He put his hand to his comm for a few seconds. “I’m needed on the Watchtower. Tornado, stay with the Kids.” 

Robin and Arsenal’s looks became even more intense as Batman left through the zeta tubes. But their attention was drawn to Aqualad as he spoke to them over the mind link. 

‘Whether or not Green Arrow was an adversary of the League first,’ Aqualad said. ‘He has targeted Arsenal and now Artemis, and spied on all of us. We will go after him.’ 

Arsenal swallowed. ‘Do I want to go after Ollie?’ he wondered. ‘Can I?’ Before he could voice any opposition, a strange sound came from Red Tornado and they all looked at the android as he slumped over, but was still standing. 

‘Red Tornado!’ Miss Martian said over the mind link.

‘What happened?’ Superboy asked.

‘He’s totally powered down,’ Kid Flash noted.

‘All functions off-line,’ Robin added, looking at his hologlove. 

‘I’m sensing a low-level mystic force at play,’ Zatanna told them. ‘I don’t know if it caused his shut down, but now that I think about it, I was getting the same mystic buzz off Batman.’

‘Batman…he…called us, kids.’ Robin looked at Arsenal. ‘He never does that.’ 

‘Look,’ Kid Flash said. He pulled something from Red Tornado’s immobile hand. ‘One of those biotech chips we confiscated off Cheshire.’

‘Something’s not right,’ Arsenal decided. ‘That whole conversation with Batman was…off and now this?’

‘I agree,’ Aqualad nodded. ‘Robin, Kid, Zatanna, Rocket, see if you can get Tornado back online. The rest with me to find Green Arrow.’ Everyone nodded, and as Miss Martian, Superboy, and Artemis were heading over the computer to start their search, Aqualad and Robin pulled Arsenal aside. “Do you wish to help Robin instead?” Aqualad asked quietly. “You do not have to help us pursue Green Arrow if you do not want to.”

“No I-I do,” Arsenal said. 

“Are you sure, bro?” Robin asked. “No one here will judge you if you can’t handle confronting him.”

Arsenal resisted the urge to shift on his feet and wrap his arms around himself. “I’m sure. Besides, I’m the one on the Team who knows Green Arrow best. If anyone will have a chance at finding him, it’s me.” 

“Ok. Just…be careful?”

“Promise.” Arsenal took a deep breath, then walked over to joined his group. 

As Aqualad moved to follow, Robin stopped him by grabbing his arm. “Look after him.”

“You have my word,” Aqualad replied solemnly. The two shared a nod before going their separate ways. 

‘Ok, Arsenal,’ Artemis said, almost gently. ‘Can you think of any places Green Arrow would go if he were cornered?’

Arsenal hesitated, thinking it over while Robin used the mind link to tell his group he thought the problem with Red Tornado was a hardware issue, not software. ‘We never left Star City, but I’m sure the League has thought to look there.’

‘The League is not you, my friend,’ Aqualad reminded him. ‘Surely you know some secret hideout where they would not look.’

‘Um…maybe…maybe his civilian home?’ It was a stretch. The arsenal under the mansion was incredibly secure and the League would probably be focusing on searching the city proper for the vigilante. Plus he knew that mansion better than anyone, maybe even Oliver. He knew all the best places to hide. ‘But…’

‘But what?’ Superboy prompted. 

‘…I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right revealing his civilian identity to you guys.’

‘Green Arrow forced you to kill people and you’re protecting him?!’

‘No! Well…maybe?’ Arsenal wrapped his arms around himself and glanced over at Robin’s group. ‘It’s complicated.’

‘What’s not complicated is that he’s the bad guy, you’re a hero-‘

‘Superboy!’ Kaldur scolded. He turned to Arsenal, who’d stepped away from him when he snapped. ‘Arsenal, it is ok. If you do not wish to tell us Green Arrow’s identity, you do not have to. We can think of something else.’

‘What if there is nothing else?’ 

‘There will be. We will just have to keep brainstorming-‘

“Recognized, Black Canary, 1-3,” the zeta tube announced. The Team glanced over at her as she approached the first group, who was closest to the zeta. 

“Arsenal,” she said in greeting. She gestured for him to come over and he complied without even thinking about it. “Come with me. I thought you could use some air considering everything that’s happening right now.” 

“Uh…” Arsenal stalled a little as he followed her to the zeta. While he appreciated Black Canary coming to check on him, he couldn’t help but feel like tracking down Oliver was a slightly more important task right now. “There’s a lot going on-“

“I’m sure.” Black Canary put her hand on the zeta control panel. “Come with me and we can discuss it-“

“Team, get out of the Cave now!” Red Tornado’s voice yelled. Arsenal spun around as soon as he heard it, just as the zeta was powering up behind him. Then several things happened at once. Black Canary’s hand was suddenly on his chest and a strong shove sent the unsuspecting archer stumbling back into the zeta tube. He tried to regain his footing, but he could feel himself falling backward with no way to control it. At the same time, he heard the canary cry. 

On the other side of the Cave, Kid Flash moved as soon as Red Tornado warned them. His speedster reflexes moved him away from his group and he saw Black Canary shove Arsenal into the zeta tube. Moving on instinct, Kid Flash ran to save his friend. He didn’t know where Black Canary was transporting him, but the speedster knew it wasn’t good. At the same time he started running, Black Canary let out a canary cry aimed at them. Luckily, Kid Flash had skirted around the edge of the room and was out of the blast range. He ran to the zeta, snagged the front of Arsenal’s shirt, then dragged his friend out. He didn’t stop until he had taken Arsenal to the other side of the cavern. 

Arsenal watched as Robin flipped toward Black Canary and attacked her. Unfortunately, the young vigilante wasn’t a match for his opponent. Black Canary easily threw him off, but when she opened her mouth again, a smoke pellet went off in her face. While the smoke was still clouding around her, Rocket stood up and trapped her in a bubble. The gas appeared to be knockout gas because Black Canary was unconscious within a few seconds of being trapped. Arsenal’s hand shook as he stood up from the kneeling position he’d landed in when Kid Flash released him. “Black Canary…attacked us?” he asked quietly. Instead of saying anything, Robin launched himself at his brother and hugged him. “I’m fine, Robin. Kid saved me from…whatever Black Canary was going to do to me.” The thought made him shiver. 

“Black Canary is the least of our problems,” Red Tornado said, lifting up his half a body he now had. “We must abandon the Cave.” 

“The group with Red Tornado, take Sphere and head south,” Aqualad ordered. “The rest of us will take the bioship and head west. Rendezvous….” He stalled, clearly unsure of where they’d be safe from the League. 

“These coordinates,” Arsenal said suddenly. He grabbed Robin’s wrist and put the coordinates into his hologlove. 

“We will take Black Canary with us. Stay off the comms, we will compare notes when we convene again. Move!” 

Robin grabbed Arsenal’s hand. “Come with us,” he said. 

“I can’t,” Arsenal replied. 

“Bro-“

“I’ll be with Kal, I’ll be fine. True me, Robin.”

Robin swallowed. “Fine. But remember your promise.”

“I will.” Arsenal squeezed his younger brother’s hand. “Stay safe.”

“You too.” They broke apart and Arsenal followed his group to the bioship. His heart was pounding in his chest as he ran. Getting on the bioship was a little bit of a relief, but he didn’t even marginally relax until they’d taken off from the hangar. Sitting in his seat, he stared at the now tied up Black Canary with uncertainty and betrayal boiling up inside him. ‘She attacked me,’ he thought. ‘I trust her and she- She used that against me.’

“Arsenal?” Aqualad asked. “Arsenal.” It took the second time for his friend to look at him. “Are you ok?”

“…Yeah.” Arsenal nodded and forced himself to turn away from Black Canary. “I’m fine. I’m here.”

“So, where exactly are we going?” Miss Martian asked. 

“I’ll give you directions.” 

“Is it somewhere safe from the League?” Artemis asked. 

“It’s somewhere no one will think to look for us.” 

— — 

It took them almost no time at all, compared to normal travel times, to get to the other side of the country. There was no cover in the desert where Arsenal told Miss Martian to bring them down, so she put the bioship in stealth mode. They disembarked, with Aqualad and Miss Martian wincing a little at the heat, but Arsenal felt himself relax a little. The familiar Arizona heat felt as if it had cleared his head. 

“Looks like squad two is arriving,” Artemis said, pointing to the growing dot on the horizon. A few minutes later, the Sphere cycle landed near the bioship. 

“Wait for us on the bioship,” Superboy instructed Sphere. Sphere rolled up into the invisible ship, then Miss Martian made sure the door was shut. 

“Come on,” Arsenal said, leading them over to a building that was less than 100 feet away. “This way.”

“What if someone’s home?” Kid Flash asked, carrying Red Tornado’s normal body while Robin was carrying the half-body their android ally now occupied. 

“Trust me, no one will be.” The door was locked, but it was nothing Arsenal’s lock picks couldn’t take care of. Stepping into the house, he was hit with a wave of sadness. It was completely empty, no furniture or pictures and covered in dust. No signs of the old man and young boy who’d occupied it so many years ago. 

“What is this place?” Artemis asked as Aqualad set Black Canary down gently. 

“This is the place where I grew up.” Everyone looked at him in shock. 

“You mean…before…” Kid Flash asked tentatively. 

“Before Green Arrow, yes. No one will be able to spy on us and no one in the League would think to look for us here. I doubt even Batman knows exactly where it is.” 

“Then it is time we get to the bottom of this,” Aqualad said. He took the biotech chip from Kid Flash and held it up for Red Tornado to see. “What happened on the Watchtower?”

“I am not sure,” Red Tornado replied. “My memory of the event is…unclear. However, I do know the League was not able to fight off Green Arrow as Batman had claimed. He is not on the run as far as I know. The League has been infected with those starrotech chips that allow Vandal Savage and Klarion to control them.” 

“If Klarion is involved, it explains the low-level mystic energy I sensed from Batman and Red Tornado,” Zatanna said. 

“So the League is being mind-controlled,” Artemis reiterated. “How do we fix it?”

“…The only way I can figure is if we reverse-engineer the starrotech chip,” Kid Flash said. 

“Could you do it?” Miss Martian asked. “You’re good at science, right? You gave yourself superspeed.”

“I blew myself up on accident, yeah. But…I feel like this is a bit above my understanding.”

“And there’s the magic component to consider,” Zatanna added. “If Kalrion is contributing, I’m nowhere near powerful enough to match that.” 

“So we need help,” Aqualad summarized. “I believe Queen Mera could help us with the magic. She is the most powerful sorceress I know.”

“Dr. Roquette may be able to help us,” Arsenal added. “She’s good with technology.”

“I know a scientist who could help too,” Superboy said. 

“Ok,” Aqualad agreed. “No one goes anywhere alone. Miss Martian, will you accompany me to Atlantis? We will need to travel by zeta tube to save time.”

“Of course,” Miss Martian nodded. 

“Robin and Artemis will go with Arsenal to see Dr. Roquette. Kid Flash with Superboy. Rocket and Zatanna, take Red Tornado and Black Canary to…”

“Star Labs, Central City,” Kid Flash said. “It’s high-tech so we can work. Plus Flash won’t think to look for me there since we only go there when we need medical help.”

“It is agreed then. Everyone stay safe and stay off the comms.” 

“Artemis,” Arsenal said, gesturing for the other archer to follow him. He led her into what used to be his bedroom. “It should still be here…” He knelt down and began knocking on the floorboards. “Ah ha!” When he found the hollow one he pried it up, disturbing the dust and needing a bit of elbow grease to move it. Inside was bundle wrapped in an old shirt. Arsenal pulled it out of the floor and unwrapped the shirt to reveal a bundle of arrows. “They’re just normal arrows, but they should work.”

“You kept those in the floor?” she asked as he divided the bundle in half. 

“I was a weird kid. My adopted dad was the only one who knew about my stash, so I figure they’d still be here.” 

“Thank God you were so weird.” 

“Guess so.” Arsenal threw the shirt back into the hole, then put the floorboard back into place. “Let’s go.” Everyone else had already left by the time they went back into the main room of the house. As they let, Arsenal took the time to re-lock the door. Once the door was shut, before his hand let the doorknob, he let his other hand linger on the unwashed wood of the front door. In his mind, he could see the morning he’d left for his last archery tournament. The day that had first brought Oliver into his life. ‘It’s so weird to think I never knew the events that life would bring me after that day.’ And yet here he was, six years later. ‘What would Brave Bow think if he knew the path my life had taken?’ 

“Arsenal?” Robin called. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah. I’m coming.” Arsenal swallowed. Without knowing where his adopted dad was buried, this house was the only monument to his old life the archer had. ‘Despite it all, I hope you’d be proud, Brave Bow.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Good-bye, Dad. I’ll try to make you proud.’ Arsenal pulled himself away from the door and down the front steps. He rejoined Robin and Artemis at the Sphere cycle and climbed aboard. 

“Where are we going to find Dr. Roquette?” Artemis asked as they drove off into the sky. 

“Way ahead of you,” Robin replied, his holo-glove already up and tracking. “I know where we’re going.” 

“Good,” Arsenal said, watching as his childhood home faded away into the horizon. He took a deep breath, then faced forward. “We have a lot of work to do.” 

— — 

Finding Dr. Roquette turned out to be easier than Arsenal thought and she was surprisingly happy to see him. Even more surprisingly, she easily agreed to help them find a cure for the Justice League. Although, Arsenal felt like the fact he’d saved her life had a lot to do with it. But he wasn’t concerned with arguing with anyone right now. The sooner they got her to Star Labs and got to work, the better. Thankfully, there were no signs of Flash when the touched down in Central City. Zatanna was waiting for them outside Star Labs when they arrived there. 

“The other squads are already back,” she explained. 

“How mad were the Star Lab scientists with us commandeering their labs?” Robin asked as Artemis and Arsenal helped Dr. Roquette down from the Sphere cycle. 

“They were a little resistant, but once we mentioned Kid Flash they became a lot more agreeable. The Flashes must be really popular around here.”

“They are. Probably a good reason we shouldn’t be in Gotham.” 

“And Batman would find us in 5 seconds if we were there,” Arsenal added as they followed Zatanna into the facility. 

“That too.” 

They were led through the twisting, whitewashed walls of Star Labs until they found the laboratory where the rest of the Team was waiting for them. “Dr. Roquette,” Aqualad said in greeting. “It is good to see you again. Thank you for coming on such short notice to help.”

“Of course,” Dr. Roquette. “You did save my life after all. How could I say no?”

“This is Queen Mera of Atlantis. She will aid you in the magic side of the cure. As well as Vulko. He was an Atlantean scientist who was studying the starfish creature that was used to help create the starro-tech, so my queen thought he’d be of service here.” 

“This is Dr. Spence,” Superboy said, introducing the other scientist. “She’s a really good scientist.” 

“I think we’ll need all the help we can get,” Dr. Roquette said. 

“We will be standing guard around the facility,” Aqualad said. “Should you require assistance, I will leave Robin and Kid Flash stationed in here. The rest of us will be communicating with our psychic link, so alert them if you need our aid.”

“Thank you, Kaldur,” Mera told him. “We will.” 

Aqualad bowed to her. “Artemis, Miss Martian, Arsenal, I want you three on the roof. Superboy, and I will patrol outside. Rocket and Zatanna, you patrol inside.” 

“Let’s go,” Arsenal said. He, Artemis, Miss Martian, Superboy, and Aqualad left the facility, then Miss Martian levitated the two archers onto the roof. Arsenal quickly found himself a good place to act as a lookout and sat down. The fact that they were in downtown Central City meant the tall buildings were preventing him from having a far view of the world around him, but he supposed he’d have to deal. 

‘Team, report,’ Aqualad said over the mind link. 

‘All clear up here,’ Arsenal replied. 

‘Same inside,’ Zatanna added.

‘We’re good,’ Robin said.

‘What’s our plan for getting the cure to the League?’ Superboy asked. ‘Ask nicely for them to take it?’ 

‘I get the feeling we’ll wish it was that easy,’ Rocket said. 

‘I agree,’ Aqualad replied. ‘I fear the only way may be for us to fight the League.’ 

‘Fight the Justice League?!’ Artemis demanded. ‘That’s crazy!’

‘We won’t have another way,’ Robin reminded her. ‘It’s the only way we’ll be able to get close enough to get them the cure.’ 

Everyone was quiet after that. Arsenal tried to keep himself focused on being on the lookout for any League members. He didn’t need to spend the whole day wondering how he was supposed to fight the heroes he’d looked up to and trained under. He’d never been able to fight off Green Arrow, how was he supposed to take on the likes of Batman and Superman? At some point in the late afternoon, his eyes started to droop closed. 

As if she could sense how tired he was, although the archer was certain that was the case, Miss Martian looked over at him. “You can take a nap,” she informed Arsenal. 

“We’re on lookout duty,” he replied stiffly. 

“It’s been quiet. Sleep for a couple hours and we’ll wake you up if anything happens.” 

“…Fine.” Arsenal laid down on the rooftop and practically curled around his bow. It was kind of cold and the roof was hard, but he was so exhausted after being for nearly 36 hours straight, his brain didn’t really care. He was asleep within minutes. Unfortunately, it felt like he was only asleep for a few minutes when Artemis was shaking him awake. 

“Robin wants you,” the younger archer informed him. 

“Thanks.” Arsenal sat up and discovered that the sun and set. ‘Robin?’ he asked over the mind link. 

‘We need to go to Gotham,’ Robin said. 

‘Why?’

‘I need a fresh utility belt and…supplies to help us take on the League.’

‘Dude!’ Kid Flash sighed. ‘You can’t go to Gotham! What if Batman is at the Bat Cave waiting for you?!’ 

‘That’s why Arsenal’s coming with me.’ 

‘I cannot allow it,’ Aqualad said. ‘It is a huge risk-‘

‘One we need to take if we want to win against the League. We’ll go to the Cave and then come straight back. I swear it.’ 

They could feel Aqualad considering it. ‘Very well. Stay off your comms, but if you are in need of assistance, call us for back up. Take the Sphere cycle. And please be careful.’ 

‘We will. Come on, bro!’ 

Miss Martian lowered Arsenal to the ground with her telekinesis and he joined his younger brother at the cycle. “I’ll drive,” Arsenal said, climbing right into the driver’s seat. “You take a nap on the way there.”

“I’m fine,” Robin said as he climbed into the backseat area. 

“You’ve been up for over 36 hours. Sleep. You’ll need it for what’s coming.” 

“Fine, but if anything happens.”

“If we’re attacked in mid-air, you’ll be the first to know.” Robin smiled a little but said nothing else as he laid down on the seat. Thankfully, the ride to Gotham was uneventful. They weren’t attacked by any League members and when Arsenal drove them into the entrance of the Bat Cave, everything looked normal. The only person inside when he stopped was Alfred. 

“Master Roy, Master Dick,” Alfred said in relief as Arsenal woke Robin up, then they climbed out of the Sphere-cycle. “I have been trying to reach all of you over the radios.”

“We turned out comms off,” Robin explained. “The League is under the control of Vandal Savage.”

“Master Bruce as well?”

“Unfortunately,” Arsenal nodded as Robin darted off. “So he hasn’t been back here?”

“Not at all.”

“Good. We have a plan to free the League. Hopefully, it’ll work.”

“I am certain you and your allies will be successful, sir.”

“Thanks, Alfred.” Whatever Dick was doing besides grabbing a new belt, Arsenal really didn’t know, but it took his brother nearly ten minutes to rejoin him. “I was about to go find you.”

“Sorry,” Robin said as he secured a fresh belt around his waist. “Ran into a small problem. Ready?”

“Let’s go.” Roy climbed into the driver’s seat again. 

“Stay safe, sirs,” Alfred told them. 

‘We’ll try, Alf,” Robin said. “See you around.”

“Bye, Alfred,” Arsenal said. “We’ll save Bruce.”

“I know you will. I have no doubts.” 

Arsenal smiled a little as he drove the Sphere-cycle out of the Bat Cave. 

Once they were on their way back to Central City, Robin leaned forward toward his brother. “We have to take on B,” he said. “No one else on the Team will be able to take him on.”

‘“I know,” Arsenal replied. 

“We need to work together though. If we attack him together we’ll have the best chance of beating him.” 

Arsenal nodded. “Then working together it is.” They spent the rest of the ride back to Central discussing various strategies for taking down Batman. It was late into the night by the time they arrived back at Star Labs. They both went back into the lab and found the whole team was there. 

“You guys made it back just in time,” Kid Flash said, almost excitedly. “The cure is ready.”

“It is?” Robin asked. 

“We believe so,” Dr. Roquette replied. “We’re testing it on Red Tornado first. Then Black Canary.” 

Arsenal glanced over at where Canary was still tied up, sitting against the wall. “How long until we know?” he asked. 

“We are downloading Tornado’s consciousness back into his body,” Aqualad explained. He was standing next to Red Tornado’s body. “We should know soon.” Everyone stood quietly as they waited. The tension was clear between the group and almost tangible. The beeping of Tornado’s consciousness finished downloading caused half the people in the room to jump. Aqualad put a hand on a water bearer and rocket and Zatanna raised their hands. Nothing happened for a few seconds, then Red Tornado’s eyes and mouth lit up. “Red Tornado, please tell me what was the first food Miss Martian cooked for us all at Mount Justice.”

“…Cookies,” Red Tornado replied as he sat up. “Although it did not go as planned, she did it with the best intentions. And Kid Flash still ate them.” 

“How do you feel?” 

“Optimal. I believe the cure tech worked.” 

“Looks like we’re safe to test it on Black Canary,” Queen Mera said. She picked up one of the chips and gently put it in the unconscious League member’s neck. For a few seconds, nothing happened, then Canary suddenly woke up and looked around. With Rocket and Zatanna’s hands raised, Mera took off the gag they’d put on her. 

“Black Canary,” she said. “How do you feel?”

“…Normal,” she replied. 

“Name one of my triggers,” Arsenal said suddenly. Robin gave him a look of confusion. “It’s something the bad guys won’t know.” 

“Having your hair touched.” 

Everyone looked at Arsenal, who nodded. 

“It is good to have you back,” Aqualad said as he walked over. He and Mera started untying her. 

“Good to be back. I’m sorry about earlier-“

“It is fine. We understand you were not in control of your actions.” 

Black Canary looked at Arsenal and he looked away. ‘Somehow I don’t think all of you believe that.’ Oh well. They couldn’t deal with this at the moment. “I’m glad.” 

“And now we must turn to the task at hand. Helping the rest of the League.” 

“Red Tornado and I can probably get you onto the Watchtower. Do you have a plan?” 

“We do.” 

— — 

“Recognized, Black Canary, 1-3. Red Tornado, 1-6,” the zeta tube on the Watchtower announced. The two heroes exited the zeta tube and approached Savage and Green Arrow. 

“Any problems?” Savage asked. 

“Despite initial setbacks, I was able to reinfect Red Tornado,” Black Canary replied. 

“As well as the entire Team,” Red Tornado added. “They await reprogramming back on Earth.”

“I think not,” Savage said. “You see, Starro-tech does not reprogram the mind. It only offers remote control of it.” He gestured up to Klarion, who was floating in the air with red circles surrounding him. 

“We know exactly who’s infected and who’s not,” Klarion explained. “And neither of you are!” Green Lantern suddenly trapped both Red Tornado and Black Canary with light from his ring. 

“But that is easily rectified.” Savage started walking around the trap heroes to their backs. “55,000 years of life and nothing troubled me more than the founding of the Justice League. Dedicated to maintaining society’s calcified status quo the League would protect mankind from disaster. From tragedy of any kind. Have you never heard of the survival of the fittest.” He put a Starro-tech chip in Black Canary’s neck and she stilled. “In essence, you heroes sought to protect humanity from its own glory and evolution. As such your forced my more enlighten colleges and myself to organize a response. We created a co-operative network of operatives.” He placed a chip in Red Tornado’s neck. “Placed key individuals in key positions. Made certain we were on the cutting edge of all new technologies. Genetic engineering. Biochemical engineering. Robotics. Nanorobotics. Even techno-sorcery. Not to mention every conceivable method of mind control. Cold hard science, a little misdirection, and now you champions of stagnation have become our agents of change. Forcing the human race to evolve on a more advanced schedule. Allowing the Earth to take its rightful place the center of the cosmos.” 

Down below, on the bottom-most level of the Watchtower, the Team was sneaking aboard. ‘RT did it,’ Robin confirmed, looking at his hologolve. ‘He was able to bypass security for us as soon as he arrived. Savage shouldn’t know we’re here.’ 

‘Move out,’ Aqualad ordered. 

Arsenal kept an arrow nocked to his bowstring as they moved. The first hero they came across was Plastic Man. He was unloading some boxes, but a knock out gas arrow was enough to cause him to pull back; right into Robin who’d positioned himself to deliver the cure. Plastic Man fell to the ground and they moved on. Next was Hawkman. Superboy snuck up on him and punched him a few feet down the hall they were in, then Robin dropped down from the rafters and implanted the cure. Miss Martian and Zatanna made quick work of The Atom and Aqualad and Rocket did the same for Captain Atom. So far everything was going according to plan. 

Back on the main level, Kalrion sighed. “The brats are aboard,” he told Savage. “They’ve taken away four of my toys.”

“Roy,” Green Arrow hissed, almost longingly. 

“Recall all League away missions,” Savage instructed. “It’s time to put these children in their place once and for all.”

“Arsenal is mine,” Green Arrow said, already walking away. 

“Of course.”

Green Arrow didn’t hear what was said next, but he did catch the end of the canary cry that was sent at Savage. He started climbing down the levels of the Watchtower. ‘I may not be able to use Artemis to spy on him anymore,’ he thought. ‘But there’s only so many places he can hide.’ 

Meanwhile, Arsenal was quickly racing up the levels with Robin, Kid Flash, and Superboy. Their plan was to be proactive about tracking down League members to give the cure to. After stepping out onto another level, they reached around a corner, only to stop suddenly. He gasped quietly and Robins’ eyes narrowed, as did Kid Flash’s. 

Standing not twenty feet from them, was Green Arrow. The group of young heroes stared him down for a few moments. 

‘Go,’ Arsenal suddenly said to Robin.

‘What?!’ Robin demanded. 

‘I said go. Go find Batman and cure him.’

“But-‘

“Go, Robin! I’ll keep Green Arrow busy. We all know it’s me he’s after.’ 

Which, in Robin’s opinion, was all the more reason not to leave Arsenal alone. But he knew fighting Green Arrow would take time the Team didn’t exactly have. Without Arsenal, Robin was the only one who had the best to chance against Batman after all. He sighed low. ’Fine. But we’ll be back as soon as we can.’ 

‘I know.’ 

‘Let’s move.’ 

Kid Flash gave Arsenal a look of confidence, and a look of hatred toward Green Arrow as a muscle in his knee twitched before he and Superboy followed Robin. 

Arsenal was alone with Green Arrow. For a moment, the archers stood there, staring at each other. Suddenly, Arsenal moved and nocked an arrow to his bowstring. 

“Long time no see, Speedy,” Green Arrow said as he did the same. He began to move toward his former sidekick, but Arsenal didn’t say anything. He did draw back the bowstring and raised his arrow, but he didn’t shoot. Instead, he kept moving away from Green Arrow until they were circling each other. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment, kid.” 

“Is that why you worked with Savage? Just to get to me?” Arsenal asked, trying to hide the quiver in his voice. Panic was trying to push into his brain, but he pushed back. ‘No. I can’t. Not now. I have to keep him busy.’ 

“To get you. Get revenge on the League.”

“For rescuing me?”

“Rescue? Is that the way you see it? They took you from me.” Green Arrow fired, but Arsenal avoided the arrow by dropping to the ground. He somersaulted forward and came up in a kneeling position; his arrow was still pointed at his adversary. “You’re mine, boy. Always have been, always will be. I made you what you are. You think Batman can take credit for the way you shoot? No, that was all me. They took what was mine and I’m getting it back.” 

Another arrow shot forward and Arsenal threw himself to the side. He got back to his feet as quickly as possible. “I’ll never go back with you!”

“You say that like I’ll give you a choice. My new friends have ways of…overriding that precious will and morality you’ve clung to all these years.” 

A cold sensation washed over Arsenal. His hands started shaking. “So, you’ll mind-control me? Make me a mindless robot?!” He threw himself back to avoid another arrow, then shot an electroshock arrow at Green Arrow. The man managed to duck it though and countered with another arrow, so Arsenal ducked behind something to protect himself. 

‘I got him cornered,’ Green Arrow thought with a smile. He advanced on the Arsenal’s hiding place and pulled an arrow from his quiver. “Yes, but not before I have Klarion turn Batman on you. We’ll see how much resolve you have after the Bat beats it out of you. Consider it your punishment for betraying me.” 

A cold sensation suddenly snapped Arsenal out of his fear as the severity of the situation hit him. Oliver was going to ruin everything. His independence, his identity, his relationships. Everything Arsenal had built. ‘He’s the bad guy,’ the younger archer thought, Superboy’s words from earlier coming back to him. ‘If I don’t stop him, he’ll hurt my brother and Bruce. My friends. Everyone I care about.’ Something solid settled inside him. ‘No. He’s not ruining my life. Not again.’ Arsenal took a deep breath, then moved. 

When he sat up and fired over the box, the arrow shot off his bowstring and straight at Green Arrow. Green Arrow dodged to the side and immediately had to dodge to the other side to avoid the next arrow that was fired off. He fired an arrow of his own, but Arsenal dropped to the ground before it could hit him. He threw himself forward into a somersault. He jumped to his feet, then fired an electroshock arrow, but Green Arrow avoided it as well. Arsenal had to throw himself to the ground again as an arrow whizzed past his head. Even from lying on his side, he shot off a foam arrow. Oliver dodged it and ran at him. 

Before Arsenal could get up, Green Arrow covered the short distance between them and was on top of him. In an all too familiar move, Green Arrow was straddling him and his hands were wrapped around Arsenals’ throat. Panic shot through his brain and he froze. ‘No!’ Arsenal thought. ‘I can’t freeze! I can’t breathe, but I can’t freeze!’ Moving desperately and kind of surprised Oliver wasn’t as heavy as Arsenal remembered, he pulled one of his hands-free of the man’s leg. Before Arsenal could think about what he was doing too much, he swung his fist and punched Oliver in the head. Whether Oliver wasn’t prepared for the hit, or it was a hard hit, didn’t matter because his grip over Arsenal’s throat had slackened. Arsenal punched him again and knocked Green Arrow off of him. For half a second, Green Arrow just stared at him in shock, but Arsenal didn’t stop. 

He kicked Green Arrow in the chest, then flipped back when the man reached of him. He sidestepped Green Arrow as his opponent tried to tackle him. Arsenal shot another arrow at him, an electroshock one, which hit the other archer in the back. Green Arrow let out a cry of pain, but it didn’t knock him out. He spun around and the look of anger he gave Arsenal made him shiver. Green Arrow ran at him and swung a punch at him, but Arsenal ducked under it, then slammed his bow into Green Arrow’s stomach. He grabbed the other archers arm and flipped him over his body. Green Arrow landed on his back and Arsenal slammed his foot into the man’s face. It stunned Green Arrow long enough for Arsenal to kick the bow out of his hands. When Green Arrow regained his bearings he saw Arsenal standing over him. He moved to knock the younger archer down, but then he saw the arrow that was pointed at his head and he fell back. 

“Go ahead,” Green Arrow chuckled, “Do it! Shoot me.” Arsenal didn’t say anything but simply kept pointing the arrow at him. “If there’s anyone on the planet who should want me dead, it’s you. So go ahead. Shoot me.” 

Arsenal sighed and slowly eased the bowstring back into it’s resting position. He shook his head as he put the arrow back in his quiver. “No,” he said. “I won’t.” 

“I knew you couldn’t do it. You’re weak. If you weren’t capable of killing three years ago, you wouldn’t be capable of it now.” Green Arrow attempted to grab Arsenal’s leg and knock him over, but Arsenal grabbed the hand. He twisted it, twisting Green Arrow’s whole arm with it as he pulled the man to his feet. He held it there as he took a zip-tie from one of his pouches and looped it around one wrist and started to pull it closed. Then he put the other hand in and jerked the zip-tie closed around Green Arrow’s wrists. Green Arrow jerked his hands away indignantly and tried to attack again, but all Arsenal had to do was take a step back and let the archer fall on his face. “You little bastard, when I get out of this-“

“I don’t think you’ll be getting out of this.” Arsenal pulled Green Arrow up so he was sitting and pulled out one of his bat-a-rangs. He cut the quiver off Green Arrow and tossed it to the side. 

“Don’t act like you don’t want to take a shot at me, Speedy.”

“Nope. Not even a little bit.” Arsenal grabbed Green Arrow by his arms and pulled him to his feet. Green Arrow head-butted him in the face and the younger archer stumbled back half a step. Pain surged through his face, but Arsenal fought through the pain to grab Green Arrow by the back of his collar before he could get away. “This will go a lot easier if you stop.” 

“I won’t give into you.”

“I’m not the one you should be worried about.” Arsenal pushed him down to sit against the wall. 

“You mean the League? Savage has them under his control.”

“Not for long. We’ve been thwarting your little friends for months now and we never even realized it. Imagine what we can do now that we have all the information.” Arsenal pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bowstring. “If you try to run I’ll shoot out your knee. So think long and hard before you move.” Green Arrow grumbled under his breath but didn’t try to get up. Neither of the two archers said anything for several minutes. Arsenal didn’t even take his eyes off Green Arrow for a second. ‘I meant what I said,’ he thought. ‘I’ll shoot him if he tries to run. I won’t let him get away to try and hurt more people. Not this time.’ The sound of footsteps alerted him to someone running down the hall. Making a split second decision, he turned his attention away from Oliver and spun to point his arrow at whoever was coming. 

Batman ran around the corner and stopped. “Arsenal,” he said. First, he saw Arsenal was in one piece, then he saw Green Arrow, sitting on the ground and restrained. “What happened?”

“I… I beat him.” 

Batman looked down at Green Arrow, then back up at Arsenal. Behind him, he could hear Superman landing, apparently also recovered. “You beat him?”

“I did.” 

“Why don’t you go join the rest of the Team? They’re up on the main level.” 

“…Ok.” Arsenal glanced back at Green Arrow before he left. 

Once Arsenal was gone, Superman walked over to Green Arrow and pulled him up by his arm. “Well, well, well,” he said, a hint of smugness in his voice. “Look what we have here. Someone is trespassing on our satellite.” 

“Just take me back to Earth, Boy Scout,” Green Arrow growled. 

“Funny you think we’d let you go after this,” Batman told him. “You infiltrated our secret headquarters. That makes you a liability that we can’t allow to walk around freely.”

“So what exactly do you plan to do with me?” As he asked as the two Green Lanterns flew down to the small group. 

“Oh, I think we have that handled,” Hal said with a smile. “You’re in space now, which means you’re outside any kind of Earth jurisdiction. Placing you firmly in the jurisdiction of the Green Lanterns.” 

“What’re you gonna do? Kill me?”

“No, luckily for you we’re not allowed to use lethal force.” 

“But we are an intergalactic police force,” John added. 

“We have planets that hold the criminals we catch. So…” Hal created construct handcuffs around Green Arrow’s already restrained hands. “You’re under arrest for conspiring with known intergalactic criminals and…so many other things.” He looked at John. “Sound about right?”

John shrugged as he wrapped a glowing construct around Green Arrow’s arms. “Honestly just the first is enough.” 

“Good.” 

“You know, I wasn’t the only one who infiltrated your precious Watchtower,” Green Arrow pointed out as the zip-tie was cut away, leaving only the glowing restraints from the Green Lanterns. 

“We know,” Batman said. “But you should know that Savage and Klarion are both gone. And they didn’t even attempt to help you. Just to give you a good idea of how they saw you.”

“Their fall guy,” Hal added as if it wasn’t obvious. 

“Let’s get him to a holding cell,” Superman instructed. Green Arrow was silent but glaring as they led him toward the main level. 

Meanwhile, Arsenal stepped out into the main level of the Watchtower. “Arsenal!” Robin shouted. He ran to his brother and leaped up into his arms. “You’re ok.”

“I am. I’m fine, Arsenal replied. 

“What happened to Green Arrow?” Robin dropped back to the ground. 

“I beat him. He’s tied up and Superman and Batman have him now.” 

A grin broke out over Robin’s face. “You got him?”

“I did.” Arsenal returned the smile and something he couldn’t identify settled in his chest and stomach. But it wasn’t the feelings of fear and dread he’d always associated with Oliver. Whatever this new feeling was, he kind of liked it. He caught Aqualad’s eye over his brother’s head and moved toward him. “Great job.”

“I feel like I should be saying that to you,” Aqualad replied. “You beat Green Arrow.”

“I did.” 

The smile on Aqualad’s face was radiating pride. “I knew you could.” 

A holographic clock popped up next to the assembled Team. “Happy New Year, Justice League,” a voice said. 

Arsenal smiled and turned to Aqualad, who pulled him closer and kissed him. “Happy New Year.” 

“Happy New Year.” Arsenal kissed Aqualad in return, feeling as though this would be a very good year indeed.


	41. Outcomes

After the longest de-brief Roy had ever been through (which included several hours of obsessing over where some of the League members had been for 16 hours), he and Dick were sent back to Gotham. It was a clear sign of how exhausted his younger brother was that Dick didn’t fight at all as they were sent away. In fact, no one really did. The high of their win had ebbed away from the teens, who’d all been up for nearly 48 hours on less than 4 hours of asleep a piece. Pair that with the extreme fight they’d been through on the Watchtower and Dick merely changed out of his suit then dragged his feet up the stairs to go to bed. 

“Master Bruce isn’t with you?” Alfred asked Roy after he’d changed. 

“No, he had to stay on the Watchtower and deal with Oliver.”

“…Pardon, sir?” 

Roy threw himself down in the computer chair, then recited the story of his fight and subsequent victory over Oliver. 

When he finished, Alfred didn’t say anything for a few seconds. Then, a smile slowly crossed his features. “Well done, sir.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, Master Roy. I’m incredibly proud of you.” 

“Thanks, Alfred.”

“You’re welcome. Are you going up to bed?”

“…Soon. I-I don’t think I can sleep yet.”

“Very well, sir. Try not to stay up too long.”

“I won’t.” Roy swung back and forth slightly in the chair as he stared out at the cave. ‘Bruce said they’re going to send Oliver to a Green Lantern prison on another planet. I’ll never have to see him again.’ There was some relief at that thought, but something else too. Something Roy couldn’t identify. ‘Ollie will never be a problem again. I’ll never have to deal with him again. I can just…live my life in peace.’ He started to frown a little. ‘If Ollie’s gone…if I’m really safe, then why should I stay in Gotham? That was Bruce’s reasoning. I can’t leave Gotham because it wasn’t safe. But if Ollie’s gone, then why shouldn’t I leave sometimes. He’s not out there anymore… He’s not in Star anymore.’ That made Roy sit up straight. ‘Oliver won’t be in Star anymore. No one will be killing the criminals every night, no one there will have to fear a vigilante again.’ He flinched a little. ‘They shouldn’t have needed to fear their vigilante. Heroes should be there to help, they should make people feel better. Not scare them. That’s not the way heroes should be.’ He blinked, then sat up a little straighter. ‘Why- Why don’t I go?’ 

It made a certain amount of sense. He was a vigilante after all, and he knew Star. Even if he’d never been on his own before, he’d serve the city far better than Oliver had. ‘Plus, I’m an adult now. Why shouldn’t I go out on my own?’ The more he thought about it, then more the idea gained confidence in his mind. ‘I can be a good vigilante for Star City. I can show the people that heroes are good guys.’ Roy nodded to himself. ‘I could do it. Even if I don’t want to leave Dick, I could do it. How could I tell Bruce though? I-I don’t want to make it seem like I’m just taking off because its safe for me to be outside of Gotham now. This still feels like my home. Dick, Alfred, and Bruce are my family.’ He sighed a little and slumped down in his seat. ‘It’s going to be so hard to tell them. Especially after all they’ve done for me. But I need to go. I just have to.’ 

— — 

On the Watchtower, Batman and Flash entered the area where the holding cells were located. After putting in the passcode, the door opened for them and they walked in. The walls of the hall were a dark grey, giving the space a drab and serious feeling. The first cell on their left was the only one that had someone in it. Behind a glass wall, they could see the small room that served as Green Arrow’s cell. The archer was now confined in a straight jacket, which was connected to a chin that didn’t allow him to get within five feet of the glass. He’d been pacing back and forth as much as he could in his confinement, but when Batman and Flash walked in he stopped and glared at them. His lips moved, but they couldn’t hear what he was saying. Batman walked up to the control panel of the cell and hit a button. 

“What was that?” he asked, stepping back a few feet.

“I asked, what’re you smiling at?” Green Arrow said, nodding his head at Flash. Batman looked back at his teammate and discovered the speedster was grinning widely. 

“Oh nothing,” Flash replied casually as he walked slowly toward the cell. “I’ve just been waiting so long to see you in a cell. It just makes me so happy.” 

“Flash, leave,” Batman ordered while Green Arrow practically growled. 

“Uh-huh. You’re lucky he can’t open that cell from in here.” Flash left the two vigilantes alone, feeling cathartic after only a few smug words he’d said to Green Arrow. 

“What’d you want? Huh, Batman?” Green Arrow asked when Flash was gone. “Here to kick my ass again?”

“Flash is right when he said I can’t open the cell from in here. They disabled that panel when I said I was going to talk to you, so now it can only be opened from outside this hall. Besides, I think Roy already kicked your ass pretty thoroughly.” 

Green Arrow scowled. “Yes, I’m sure you’re very proud of that little bastard’s victory.”

Batman glared. “You’re miserable existence of a human being.” 

“Takes one to know one.”

“Even on my worst days, I would never stoop to your levels of misery, Queen. I’d never manipulated a 12-year-old child and beat him until he’s terrified to so much as look at me.” 

“Did you really come here just to say you don’t approve of my parenting?” 

Batman clenched his jaw. “No…” He took a deep breath. “I want to know why.”

“Why what?”

“Why Roy? Why- Why did you torture him the way you did? What could that innocent boy have possibly done to deserve the hell that you forced him to live through?!” 

“You didn’t know him the way I did, Batman. He was cocky little shit.”

“He was 12!”

“I was making him better! I brought him down a few pegs so he could learn! That little fucker didn’t even want to practice his shooting when I started training him. So yeah, I slapped him! When he talked back, when he questioned me, when he pissed me off, I had to teach him a lesson. I needed him to listen to my every word, or he’d get himself killed on the streets!” 

Batman snorted. “If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say you care about him.” 

A small smirked played on Green Arrow’s lips. “How do you know that I don’t?”

“No! You don’t! You can’t! There’s no possible way you can care about him after the way you traumatized him!” Green Arrow just kept smirking. “Tell me you don’t care about him.” Nothing. “Arrow-“

“You don’t really want the answer to that, do you, Batman?”

Batman clenched his fists. No, he didn’t. Deep down he knew this wasn’t a question he really wanted an answer to. He always wanted to know everything, but in this instance, it was probably better he remained ignorant. “No matter what your reasons are, no matter what pitiful excuse you have, Queen, none of it matters. There will never be a legitimate reason for you to be as cruel as you were to him.” 

“Agree to disagree.” 

“The only reason you’re alive is because of him. I would’ve killed you three years ago if he hadn't been there.”

“Isn’t that just the paradox of the situation, hm? If you kill me I win because Roy will think of you with the same few the think of me, but as long as I’m alive, I still win.”

“How do you win by being alive?”

“Because as long as I’m alive, Roy will always be afraid. He might’ve beaten me this time, but he won’t be able to live without feeling like I’m there. He’ll spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder for me, no matter what stupid plane you send me to. As long as I’m in his head, it’ll be like I never left.” 

“It sickens me how you talk about your influence on, Roy.” 

“Roy is mine. That kid is my property. Always has been, always will be. I was going to make him great, but you and the Justice League just had to go and stick your noses where they weren’t wanted.” 

“We saved him from you.” 

“No, you didn’t. Just like I said, he can never be saved. Those people he helped me kill, those nights he spent locked in the trunk, they’ll haunt him for the rest of his life.” 

“I’m done here. You’re lucky that I can’t open this damn cell. So damn lucky.” Batman pushed the button again to silence Green Arrow before he could reply, then promptly let the holding cell area. As soon as the door shut and locked behind him, he punched the wall. It spent a spasm of pain down his arm, but he could barely feel it. The anger that was burning through his veins drowned out every other sensation. “That bastard! That fucking bastard I wish I’d killed him three years ago!”

“I take it your conversation went well?” Superman asked, a slightly concerned look on his face. 

“He’s a worthless, miserable piece of scum and I hope he rots in hell!”

“I warned you that talking to Oliver would only make you angry.” 

Batman sighed and took several, extremely deep breaths. “I just had to know.”

“Bruce, no answer he gives you all ever be good enough. There are no answers in cases like this. Why does he kill people he claims to protect? Why did he beat and starve a child he was supposed to take care of? What possesses him to pursue vengeance on this one person even at the risk of his own freedom? We will never know the answers. I know you live in a world where you need the answer to everything, but you will never get one to satisfy you, Bruce. You just…you have to let it go.”

“…I don’t think I can. He put Roy through hell. No matter what I do, Roy could spend the rest of his life avoiding triggers and calming himself down from panic attacks. He could spend his whole life suspicious of everyone around him. I can’t just accept that this happened to him…just because.” 

“You have to. It will eat you alive if you let it. Roy is trying to put his mess behind him and you need to as well.” 

Bruce took another slow, deep breath. “I’ll try.” 

“Good. Hal said the earliest he and John can transport Oliver is three days.” 

“Three days and I never have to see that bastard ever again.”

“At least something good came out of this whole, ugly mess.” 

“Yes. Have the security codes been reset?”

“All of them. Red Tornado and Diana are trying to come up with some extra security protocols of the zeta tubes. Whoever Oliver gave the information to, they’ll never get up here again. That information will be useless to them now.” 

“Good. I’m going back to Gotham. Call me if something comes up.”

“I will. Hug your boys for me.” Batman didn’t say anything, but Superman still smiled as his friend left. 

‘Stupid Boy Scout,’ Batman thought as walked toward the zeta tubes. ‘Easy for him to tell me to let it go. He hasn’t been raising Roy for the past four years.’ When he stepped out into Gotham it was still night time. Not for long though. Dawn was probably in a couple hours by his estimate. This encouraged the vigilante to make sure he went straight home, no detours. Batman was supposed to be a creature of the night after all. ‘I should check on the boys,’ he thought when he arrived at the Bat Cave. ‘Make sure Roy is sleeping ok, considering everything.’ The task turned out to be a lot easier than he anticipated because he found Roy fast asleep in the computer chair A small smile crept across his face as he pulled off the cowl. “Roy. Roy, wake up.”

“Huh?!” Roy gasped as he jerked upright. “Oh, hey Bruce.”

“Hi. Why aren’t you sleeping upstairs?”

“I was waiting for you.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“Not really.”

That wasn’t a definite ‘no’. “Is it something with Oliver?”

“In a way.” Roy took a deep breath. “I-I want to talk to him.”

“To Oliver?”

“Yes. Before- Before the Green Lanterns take him away.” 

“Why?”

“Because…I have to.”

“Roy, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone.” 

“I’m not trying to prove anything…” Not to anyone else at least. “I- I just have to do this.”

“…Roy, you that talking to Oliver now isn’t going to change anything, right?”

“Yes, of course, I understand that, Bruce. I’m not trying to change anything. This is just something I need to do. It’s not for you or Ollie, or anyone. It’s- It’s just something for me.” He waited, hoping Bruce would understand because he wasn’t sure how else he could explain it. 

Bruce sighed. “Ok, fine. After we get some rest, I’ll take you up to the Watchtower.”

“Thanks, Bruce.”

“Mhm. Now go upstairs and get some proper sleep. You’ve more than earned it.” 

“Ok. Night, Bruce.”

“Good-night, Roy.” Bruce watched Roy started to head up the stairs, then called out to him. “Roy!”

“Yeah?” Roy half-turned back toward him. 

“…I- I’m proud of you.” 

“Thanks, Bruce.” 

Bruce waited until Roy disappeared up the stairs before going to get changed. ‘Maybe I can trick him into thinking Oliver is already gone,’ he thought as he took his suit off. Even as the thought crossed his mind he knew it wasn’t his best course of action though. ‘What could he possibly want to talk to Queen about? You think he’d want to wash his hands of this mess and be done.’ The thoughts continued when he was changed and heading up the stairs. ‘Maybe I can talk him out of it. Queen is still the same unrepentant bastard he was the last time Roy saw him. I’ve spent the last few years getting Queen out of Roy’s head, I don’t need him worming his way back in.’ Bruce sighed when he reached the hall where their bedrooms were. He stopped momentarily outside Roy’s room and hesitated for only a second before entering. Thankfully, Roy was passed out on the bed, fast asleep. ‘He must be exhausted, but he still stayed downstairs just to ask me.’ Bruce sighed as he pulled an extra blanket over Roy and gently smoothed out his hair. ‘I guess I’m going to have to let you talk to him it’s that important to you.’ Very carefully, so he wouldn’t wake Roy up, Bruce bent down and kissed his head. ‘Sleep well, son. I’ll never stop trying to keep you safe from Oliver. No matter how old you get.’ 

— — 

In all honesty, Roy kind of thought that Bruce would find a reason or excuse for him not to go talk to Oliver. In fact, Roy had spent most of the next day mentally preparing himself to fight Bruce on it and hold the man to his word. But, much to his surprise, in the late afternoon, Bruce told him to grab his sunglasses and follow him to the Bat-mobile. It was silent as they drove to the zeta tube, with Roy fidgeting nervously and tapping his fingers off his legs. 

“Are you sure you still want to do this?” Batman asked quietly when they were a block away. 

“Yes,” Roy replied. “I do.”

“Very well then.” It was silent again after that. Neither of them said a word when they exited the car, or when they walked through the zeta. 

“Arsenal, B-04. Batman, 02,” the zeta announced as they stepped out. Batman silently gestured for Roy to follow as he led him toward the level where the holding cells were. When they got to the room outside the hall, both were surprised to see Black Canary, along with the founding members of the League. 

“We’re just here to show support,” Superman said before Batman said anything. He smiled at Roy and gestured for him to come over to the door. “How’re you feeling today?”

“Fine, I guess,” Roy replied, trying to hide his uneasiness. “Um…I get to talk to Oliver alone, right?” The question as directed at Batman. 

“…..If that’s what you want.” He could always monitor their conversation on the cameras anyway. 

“If you want your conversation to be private we can disable the cameras while you talk to him,” Superman added. “Flash.”

“On it!” the speedster replied, zooming away before Batman could object. He returned not ten seconds later. “Ok, all the cameras in and around that cell are disabled. Whatever you say, it’ll be totally private.”

“Is it safe?” Roy asked. 

“Perfectly. We have him tightly restrained and it’s physically impossible for him to open the cell from in there. You’ll be safe. I promise.”

“Ok.” Roy nodded to himself. “Ok.”

“Are you ready?”

Roy swallowed, then nodded again. “Yes, I am.”

“Ok.” Superman punched in the code to unlock the door. “When you get in there go over to the control panel for his cell and push the green button. It’ll allow you to hear him. When you leave push it again before you leave to sound-proof the cell again.”

“Got it.” Roy’s heart was pounding against his ribs like it was trying to bruise them. It almost felt like his legs were made of jelly as he walked. His stomach was twisting itself into knots over and over again. But he walked in anyway. The door closing behind him made him jump a little, but he tried to hide it. As soon as he walked, Oliver life this head. The man’s face went through a series of emotions, from anger to intrigue when he saw Roy. Despite being in a straight jacket, Oliver got to his feet and walked as close to the glass as the chain attaching him to the wall would allow. Taking several deep breaths, Roy walked over like Superman told him and pushed the green button. He then stepped back and took his sunglasses off. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that he could now look Oliver in the eye. He didn’t have to look up at him anymore. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. “Hi, Ollie.” 

“Come here to gloat?” Oliver asked voice tinged with anger. “Bet you’re feeling pretty big and proud right now, with all your hero friends patting you on the back.” 

Roy swallowed. “I- I wanted to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“…Because I don’t hate you.” 

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure.”

“I don’t. I should. After what you did to me, I should hate you!”

“All I did was what you asked me to do. You wanted to be a vigilante, Roy. That was your-“

“Bullshit.” Roy’s gaze was a little hard. His hands balled a little at his sides. “That’s bullshit. I never asked for you to neglect and abuse me.” 

“I knew what you needed. You can call it whatever you want, but even you have to admit I got results. Your archery got better with me teaching you, didn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

Oliver sneered. “You might not have liked it, but you benefitted from being with me. Imagine how great you could’ve been if you’d never left.”

“I wouldn’t be great, I’d be a murderer. Like you.” 

“Shut the fuck up! I do what I do to help Star City.”

“Like you tried to help me?! That’s not how helping work! You shouldn’t have to tear something down to make it better!”

“How the hell do you think the world works, kid?! Huh?! Because I got news for you, the only way anything ever changes if it gets destroyed first! Look at me! I was wasting my life, squandering my skills, just like you were! I had to have my life destroyed and rebuilt on that damn island to change! That’s how change works. It’s hard and it hurts, but when it's done correctly, it fucking works! And I know it works because I was so close with you. The night you left, I knew it wouldn’t be much longer before you’d be willing to kill on your own.” 

“You’re insane.” It was obvious to Roy, just listening and comprehending how fully Oliver believed his words. “You’re deranged! You think everything in the world needs to be as damaged as you! Whatever happened to you on that island, Ollie, it doesn’t excuse you terrorizing Star or abusing me.”

“I’m not making excuses, Speedy. You belong to me, I don’t need to explain anything.”

“I don’t belong to you! I don’t belong to anyone!” 

“You’ll always belong to me, Speedy. No matter what you do, you’ll never be able to escape me.” 

“You’re wrong.” Roy put his scarred palm against the glass. “You failed. Do you get that? You lost. I’m not a killer. I don’t kill criminals when I catch them. And you know what else, I’m going back to Star City.” Oliver’s face seemed to become even angrier if that was possible. “I’m going back to Star and I’ll catch criminals the right way. The way Batman taught me. I hope you spend the rest of your life in the green lantern prison thinking about how you failed.” Oliver tried to jerk toward him, but the chain wouldn’t let him forward anymore. “And my name isn’t Speedy. It’s Red Arrow now.” 

“Fuck you, kid.” 

“Good-bye, Ollie.” Before Oliver could say anything else, Roy pushed the green button again and put his sunglasses back on. 

— — 

When Roy disappeared behind the door, Batman couldn’t stand still. He started pacing around the room outside the holding cells, wanting nothing more than to follow. As he paced, he couldn’t help but notice that Superman and Green Lantern and positioned themselves near the door. ‘Just here to support Roy my ass.’ With every minute that passed, his mind couldn’t help but wonder what was being said. ‘What if something Oliver says sets Roy off? What if he has a panic attack in there.’ Just the idea of Roy having a panic attack while Oliver jeered at him made Batman clench his fists. Almost sub-consciously, his feet moved him toward the door, but Superman gently put a hand on his shoulder to steer him away from it. Batman brushed off the hand but kept pacing. ‘What is Oliver saying to him? What if he gets back into Roy’s head? Roy’s been doing so well lately, especially the last few weeks, I can’t let Oliver erase all that progress. I won’t let him keep ruining Roy’s life!’ 

Once again, his feet had started to carry him toward the door, but Green Lantern created a hand that gently nudged him in a different direction. ‘I need to calm down. No emotions. Just…stop thinking about what terrible things Oliver could be telling him.’ Clearly, it was easier said than done. Nonetheless, Batman did his best. He tried to keep himself occupied by counting the minutes that Roy was inside. It wasn’t making him feel better, although admittedly he wouldn’t feel better until Roy returned, it was better than speculating. His pacing actually froze when Roy exited from the room. A little bit of tension loosened his chest as he searched Roy’s features. Nothing seemed wrong though. Roy looked calm and even a little…confident. He started to make his way over to Roy, but Black Canary stepped in front of him. 

“Calm down,” she told him. 

“I’m-“ Batman began, but she cut him off. 

“You’re not calm. You’re upset, which is understandable, but if something is wrong, if he’s upset about something, then you need to be calm.” 

Batman scowled but did take a couple of deep breaths. ’She’s right. Roy’s ability to pick up on my negative emotions is uncanny and concerning. I need to be calm around him.’ 

While this was happening, Roy exited the hall with the holding cells; and was almost immediately stopped by Superman. 

“Everything go ok?” Superman asked as the door close behind Roy. 

“Yeah,” Roy replied. “It was…fine.”

“Good. I’m glad.” He noticed the way Roy glanced over at Batman, then looked down. “Roy?”

“…I haven’t told Batman yet…but I want to go back to Star. You know, since Oliver’s not going to be there anymore.” 

Superman smiled. “That’s great, Roy.”

“Yeah, but…”

“You don’t know how Batman will react?” There was no verbal answer, but Roy did give him a small nod. “He’ll come around to the idea.”

“You sure?’

“We’ll make sure he does. And the League will support you, no matter what you do.”

“Thank you, Superman.”

“You’re welcome, Roy.” Superman gave him a hug, which Roy returned after a moment of hesitation. They hugged for a few seconds, then someone clearing their throat broke them apart. 

“Are you ready to go back?” Batman asked. 

“Yeah,” Roy replied. “Let’s go.” Batman put a hand on his back and they started to leave, but Black Canary stopped them. 

Roy immediately stepped back. ‘Calm down,’ he told himself mentally as nerves jittered under his skin. ‘Canary was being mind-controlled. She wasn’t in control of her actions.’ 

“Are you ok?” Black Canary asked Roy. 

“I’m fine. Really, Canary, I’m more than fine. I’m…good and happy to be finally putting all this behind me.” 

That made Black Canary smile. “I’m glad that you found some peace in all this. I’m proud of you for forgiving, Oliver-”

“I didn’t forgive him. I could never forgive him for what he did to me. I’m moving on, but I’ll never forgive him.” 

Batman wouldn’t say it out loud, but he was happy with Roy’s decision to not forgive Oliver. 

“I understand, Roy. I’m still proud of you, regardless.” 

“Thank you, Canary.” As they left, Batman put his hand on Roy’s back again as he led him toward the zeta tube. They were both silent, but Roy’s thoughts were so busy that he didn’t really mind. ‘How am I going to tell him?’ he wondered as they walked. ‘I’m definitely going. I don’t know why, but something about talking to Oliver made me even surer. What do I tell Bruce? I’m leaving? What will I do in Star for food and stuff? Maybe I could get a fake ID? I highly doubt anyone would recognize me now anyway.’ He was so lost in thought that when he stepped out into Gotham, it took him by surprise. ‘Will Bruce get mad at me for wanting to leave? Even if he does, I don’t know how he’d stop me. Superman said the League would support me going solo.’ In the end, it seemed like all he could do was just tell Bruce the truth and deal with whatever his reaction would be. 

Batman meanwhile, was a little unnerved by Roy’s silence. ‘Could he be upset about something?’ he wondered as he drove them home. ‘Maybe the talk didn’t go as well as he claimed and he just didn’t want to talk about it in front of the others.’ That made his chest tighten a bit. ‘Whatever Oliver said to him, I need to address it right away, or it’ll start eating him up.’ When they got home, Roy was still silent. Dreading the conversation he needed to have with Roy, Bruce pulled off his cowl and followed Roy into the main portion. “Roy-“

“I want to leave.” 

Bruce blinked and frowned at the same moment. “What?”

“I-I want to leave.” Roy turned around ago face Bruce. “I’m going back to Star.”

“To Star- Roy-“

“I want to do this, Bruce.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m ready. I’m ready to go out and do things on my own.”

“If you want more solo cases I can give you more.”

“I don’t just mean vigilante things. I mean normal things too. I don’t really have all the details worked out yet, but I want a job. A life.”

“You can have those things here.”

“I want to go back to Star.”

“Why?! What is there for you in Star City?!”

“Freedom! I-I need to put this all behind me. And to do that, I have to go out on my own. If I stay here it’s like I’m giving in and Ollie wins. Besides, I want to help Star. It’s never had a real vigilante, not a good one anyway. I want to help the people of Star, show them what heroes are supposed to be like.”

Bruce sighed and rubbed his eyes. ‘Why does this kid have to be so damn good? Can’t he just stay here and be…Roy?’ He rubbed his while face. “You do remember that legally you’re still a missing person, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s been years. No one has seen me since I was 12 really. I could probably write off any resembles. And it’s safe now that Ollie won’t be there anymore.”

“…Roy, you can’t leave.”

“Would you stop me?” 

“No. I’d never hold you anywhere against your will, you know that.”

Roy nodded. “I do. Bruce, I need to go out and live my own life. I’m 18.”

“…You’re going whether I tell you yes or no, aren’t you?”

“That was the plan…” 

Bruce sighed and rubbed his eyes. ‘I don’t want him to leave. Even if it’s safe now, I just want him to stay.’ Unfortunately, though, he knew that wouldn’t be a good enough reason to keep Roy in Gotham. Especially since Roy was so intent on leaving. ‘Keeping him here now would basically be against his will and I can’t do that to him.’ Even if it gave him a painful pinching in his chest to let Roy leave. “Ok. If you want to move back to Star City, then I will do everything I can to help you.”

“You will?”

“I will. I can create a fake identity for you to use.”

“Really?”

“I’ll get to work on it right away.” It would be the best damn fake identity anyone had ever had. “And I’ll make sure you have enough equipment.”

Roy smiled at him. He moved forward and gave Bruce a hug. “Thank you, Bruce. For everything.” 

Bruce froze for a second, then returned the hug. “You’re welcome, Roy.” For a few seconds, Bruce just let himself feel the happiness of Roy’s presence before he broke away. 

“Artemis needs some more arrows too. We can’t take the risk of her using any of the contaminated arrows.”

“I agree.” 

“I was thinking of inviting her to come patrol in Star City with me sometimes. You know so she can get some more experience.” 

“Have you thought about what you’ll do about the Team?”

“I’m staying on the Team, but I might not be around as much. I’m going to have a lot of work to do getting established in Star and everything.” Roy’s voice carried a tone of excitement at the end, which made Bruce smile a little as he walked toward the computer. Roy moved to follow, but a noise made him stop. He frowned and turned his head in time to catch a hint of a red sweater and white sneakers running up the stairs. Sighing a little, Roy rubbed his eyes. “I’ll be right back, Bruce.” Before he got a reply, Roy went upstairs. He thought for a moment when he was in Bruce’s study, then made a decision and headed for Dick’s room. When he reached it, he knocked on the door gently. “Dick? Are you in there?” No reply. “Dick, I know you overheard my conversation with Bruce. Please open the door.” Still no response. “Dick, I’m coming in.” 

Roy walked into the room to find that it was empty. “Dick?” A cold breeze blew through making him shiver. His attention was pulled to the open window across the room from him. “Figures.” Glad he was at least wearing a sweater, he crossed to the window and carefully climbed out. At first, he had to crouch on the windowsill and maneuver himself around. He stood up and grabbed the ledge above the window. Roy took a deep breath, then pulled himself up onto the roof. Some remnants of snow stuck around on the shingles, but it didn’t make him feel any more nervous. (Although it didn’t make him feel better either.) He climbed up the roof, then up onto the next one. Finally, at the tallest point on the roof, he found Dick curled up and shivering stubbornly. Roy sat down next to him, but Dick simply got up and moved ten feet away. “Dick-“

“Go away,” Dick said, glaring out at the darkening, snow-covered Manor grounds. “I’m mad at you.”

“How much did you hear?”

“Everything. I wanted to greet you when you got back….”

Roy sighed. “This isn’t how I wanted you to find out.” He moved closer, but Dick moved away again. “Dick-“

“Go away!”

“Talk to me, Dick.”

“No! You’re leaving!” Dick finally faced him and glared. In the soft light, Roy could just barely see the glistening of tear-tracks on his face. “You’re leaving after you promised you’d never leave me! You broke your promise!”

“Dick, moving back to Star isn’t the same as me dying.”

“You’re still leaving!”

Roy moved closer again and thankfully, Dick didn’t move away. The older teen put his arm around his younger brother. “Dick, I have to go.”

“No, you don’t have to leave, you want to leave!” He started crying even more and Roy pulled his head into his chest. “Why do you want to leave?! What did I do?!”

“Dick-“

“I’ll be a better brother, I promise!” 

“Dick, I’m not leaving because I’m mad at you! I’m leaving because I have to. I need to go out and do things on my own and for myself.”

“You can stay here and do that.”

“We both know I can’t. I love Bruce, and I know he means well, but we both know he’s not going to give me the control over my life that I need.”

“….I know…” Dick sniffled. “You could work in Blüdhaven.”

“That place is the 9th circle of hell. Only someone who’s completely out of their mind would take it on.”

“You could…”

“Thanks, but Star…it’s important to me. I want to help the city the same way Bruce helped me. To try and undo all the damage Oliver has caused.”

“…Makes sense…”

A shiver went through Roy as the cold wind blew against them. “I’ll call and visit. Do you really think Alfred would let me stay away for long periods of time?”

Dick sniffled. “What about letting Artemis patrol with you?”

“What about it? I thought you liked Artemis.”

“I do, but why would you invite her and not me?”

“…I just assumed you’d come patrol with me sometimes anyway, Dick. Kinda figured it was a given.”

“Oh…” Dick wiped his eyes. “I still don’t want you to leave.”

Roy smiled a little bit. “I love you too.” 

Dick wrapped his arms around him. “Promise you’ll call and visit?”

“Promise. You can even help me move into my apartment when I leave.”

“Deal.” Dick didn’t move but kept hugging Roy with his head on his chest. “Are you happy? Now the Oliver’s going away and you can go back to Star? Now that everything’s going to be ok?”

Roy was quiet for a few moments as he thought about it. “I think so.”

“Good. I want you to be happy. You deserve it.” 

“Thanks, Dick.” Roy leaned his head down and kissed the top of Dick’s hair. “Now come on, let’s go inside. It’s freezing up here.”

“Ok.” They stood up and Dick started scampering down the roof. 

Roy stood there for a moment, looking out over the Manor grounds around him in the setting sun. ‘It’s really over. It is. Everything’s going to be ok.’ A chuckle escaped him as he followed this brother. ‘It’s about damn time.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe we're almost done! I know everything might feel wrapped up, but there's still one more epilogue-ish type chapter to go. (That "ish" part will make sense next week.) Until then, let me know what you guys thought of the sequel and I'll see you next week with the stunning conclusion.


	42. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...here we are. 
> 
> First, I'd like to thank everyone's who has supported this story! You guys are all awesome! 
> 
> Second, there will be a third (and maybe a fourth) story to this series. The next story will take place partially over the 5 year gap and cover the events of Season 2. I have no idea when it'll be up, but while you wait...
> 
> Third, I will be posting two sets of one-shots for this series. The first will be Roy meeting the Bat-kids who join during the 5 year gap (Jason, Barbara, and Tim) and the second one will be a series of one-shots covering the time between Shadow of an Arrow and To Wear a Shadow. Mostly just ideas I couldn't fit in either of those stories. The first group of one-shots will be posted soon, two weeks from today. 
> 
> Finally, this last chapter is short, but it's mostly acting as the bridge between this story and the next one. Thank you again for all your support and I hope you'll all read the next installments.

“-and in other news, the long-missing ward of Oliver Queen, Roy Harper, was declared legally dead today,” the news anchor said. Her voice caused Roy, who’d been wandering through his living room, to stop and stare at the tv in shock. His eyebrows furrowed a little and he leaned over the back of the couch, hands clutching it for dear life. “Roy Harper went missing from the Queen mansion over seven years ago. The Star City police never made any arrests in his case and in a statement, Commissioner Lance said he still regrets the case went cold. Since today would’ve been Roy’s 21st birthday, the courts were able to declare him legally dead, even without a body. And as I’m sure all our viewers know, Oliver Queen went missing himself for the second time three years ago. In a shockingly similar circumstance, that case has also had no leads and no arrests have ever been made.” 

The news moved on to other topics, but Roy wasn’t listening. He just stared at the tv in silent shock. ‘I’m dead?’ he thought. Moving mechanically, he picked up the remote and turned the tv off. “Makes sense I guess.” Roy took a deep breath and reached for his phone. He managed to get as far as to opening it and scrolling to Dick’s contact before he froze. A deeper frown crept across his face. Barring the short ‘Happy Birthday’ text he’d gotten at midnight, he hadn’t spoken to his younger brother in over six months. ‘Not since-’ The thought cut off with a wince of pain from Roy, who put his hand on his chest as a bolt of grief went through him. He shook his head, then shut the phone and put it in his pocket. “Huh. I’m dead.

“I wonder if Bruce, Dick, and Barbara know?” Roy muttered as he wandered over to a window and leaned against the glass to look down at the street. His phone went off in his pocket and he took it out. A smile crossed his lips. 

Barbara: Sorry about your death 

Roy: Thanks

Barbara: Just when you were old enough to drink too. What a shame, lol.

Roy: I don’t want to drink

Barbara: Does that mean you won’t buy me a little something?

Roy: No

Barbara: :(

Roy: It’s illegal! 

Barbara: …Really? That’s your hang up?

Roy: Respect your elders

Barbara: Come home and make me

That made Roy smile even more. 

Roy: Nice try, Barbie. We both know I probably won’t be welcome 

Barbara: BS. B misses you. He keeps checking the Star City news for reports about you

Roy: Is he still…?

Barbara: Yeah…

Roy: I can’t be around him. Sorry, I just… I don’t think I could handle it

Barbara: I know, I understand 

Barbara: Will you at least come see the Team? They miss you too. Dick came back last week

Roy: I know. Kal told me 

Roy: Dick I haven’t spoken in six months, I doubt he’d be thrilled if I suddenly showed up at MJ

Barbara: Ugh…men… He loves you and you know it.

Roy: What was it he said last time I saw him?

Barbara: He was grieving. We all were

Barbara: I have to get ready for patrol. At least consider coming by and saying hello?

Roy: I’ll consider it 

Barbara: Thanks. Happy Birthday, brother.

When Roy looked up again and put his phone in his pocket he noticed the sun was setting, causing long shadows from the apartment buildings that lined the street. “I’m sure Dick and Bruce also know.” He would’ve been upset at neither of them contacting him about it, but since Barbara was the only person he was currently in semi-contact with, what else should he have expected? “At least the whole ‘being dead’ thing will make it easier for me. No one will be looking for Roy Harper if he’s dead.” Even if looking like a missing kid wasn’t actually something that had been a big problem for him. Roy sighed and pushed himself away from the window. “I need some air. And exercise.” Unfortunately, it was too early for patrol, so a simple walk would have to do. He put his shoes on, along with a sweater, then left his apartment. 

Outside, the air was still warm despite it being September. Roy shoved his hands in his jeans’ pockets as he walked. ‘I know it’s probably for the best that they declared me dead,’ he thought as he walked, ‘but it still feels weird.’ Part of him felt a little angry that he was declared dead. Like somehow, Oliver had won in some small way, but he quickly tried to banish the feeling. ‘This isn’t about him. Yes, he’s the reason I had to “go missing” but this is just the way things go. The police and courts were are doing their jobs. No big deal.’ That made him snort a little. He was dead. Yeah, no big deal. The thoughts of his own legal death had consumed him so much that he didn’t say attention to how many blocks he walked. He didn’t stop until his phone went off again he had to take it out. 

Kal: Happy Birthday, my love

Roy: Thank you 

Roy: For the fifth time 

Kal: I am very happy you were born 

Roy: You’re so sappy 

Kal: Do you want me to stop?

Roy: No, I didn’t say that 

Kal: :)

Kal: I am sorry I could not be with you today. The Team was on a mission

Roy: It’s ok. Later this week? 

Kal: Of course 

The smile stayed on Roy’s face even when he’d put his phone away again. “The sun’s getting low,” he observed to no one. The street was deserted save for him. “Should I keep walking? I could go out and go and get a drink. I am 21 now.” Deep down he knew he wouldn’t, though. Just the smell of alcohol brought back memories of hands around his throat and an arrow cutting his cheek. So he just kept walking. By the time he looked up again, the sun had set below the buildings, casting everything thing in dark shadows. Not that he was worried. He knew Star City at night like the back of his hand. ‘I should probably head home so I can get ready for patrol-'

“Let go!” 

The shout caused Roy to freeze. He turned his head in the direction it’d come from. Across the street, he could just barely make out four figures in a narrow alley. 

“Get away from me! I don’t have any money, leave me alone, please!”

Without thinking, Roy dashed across the street. When he was closer he could see three of the figures had cornered the fourth, who looked a lot smaller than them. That combined with the high-pitched tone of the fourth voice caused Roy to deduce it belonged to a teenager. A young one. He glared as he stepped into the alley and, without warning, punched one of the men in the side of the head. It shocked the man, who stumbled sideways into one of his friends. 

“Get out of here!” Roy snapped at them. “Stop picking on kids half your size!” It was too dark for him to properly see if any of them had a weapon, so this wasn’t the brightest move, but his attack had taken them by surprise. The three men ran off without a word, clearly spooked. ‘Good,’ Roy thought with a slight smirk. ‘Serves them right.’ He turned to the teen, who was still pressed against the wall of the building. “Are you ok?” 

“Uh… I- I think so.”

“Why don’t we step out of this alley? Hm? Who knows what’s lurking in here.” Roy slowly led the kid out into the light of a streetlight. As soon as the kid stepped out, a jolt of fear went through Roy at the sight of his green eyes and blonde hair. ‘Whoa, calm down!’ he commanded mentally as his eyes jumped down to the pavement. He took several deep breaths and counted to 10 in his head. Swallowing, Roy examined the kid again more closely. ‘He looks nothing like Oliver! Get a grip, Harper!’ It was true. Yes, the kid had green eyes and blonde hair, but he also appeared to be of East Asian descent and had dark skin. Definitely not Oliver. ‘Damn brain. Ollie's been gone for three years. Like he'd really appear on a random Star City street pretending to be a teen in distress. Get a grip!’ Roy took another deep breath. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah…” the kid answered. “Thanks for uh…helping me.”

“You’re welcome.” Roy spotted the backpack that was slung over the kid’s shoulder. “What's in the bag?”

“Nothing…” 

“Really?” Roy assessed the kid. He wore clothes that were extremely dirty and wrinkled, and the smell reaching Roy’s nose told him the kid hadn’t showered in a few days. The boy’s whole demeanor was slouched, but his eyes never left Roy with a suspicious glint. An idea started forming in the back of Roy’s mind. “Do you need me to walk you home?”

“…Uh… That won’t be necessary.”

“You live close by?”

“Sure…”

Roy tried not to frown or narrow his eyes. “Which street?”

“…First?”

“Nice try, but First Street is on the other side of the city.” The kid didn’t say anything and Roy sighed. “Kid, do have a place to stay?”

“…No. I- I’m not from around here.”

“Here?”

“Star City. I hitchhiked here from San Fransisco.” 

‘Yikes,’ Roy thought with a wince. “That’s awfully dangerous. You’re what…14?”

“13, actually.” 

That made Roy wince again and another pain of grief went through his heart. His hand flickered as he resisted the urge to put it on his chest. “What brings you here?”

“…I’m looking for someone.”

“Who?”

“My father. I- I’ve never met him but I kind of…know of him? I know his name at least. Anyway, he’s missing so I’m trying to find him.” 

“Really?” 

“Mhm.” 

Roy swallowed as he studied the kid. He looked tired and hungry. Which was understandable if he’d been living on the streets. ‘Why would he come all the way to Star just to search for a father he’s never met? Where’s his mom? Why is he alone?’ There was so much about this situation that just didn’t feel right; and something in his gut that told him he couldn’t just let this could go off on his own. Roy sighed. ‘I could drop him off with the police, but they’d probably just send him home. What if he’s a runaway, though? What if it’s not safe for him to go back?’ He rubbed his face. Looked like there was only one option then. “Hey, do you maybe want a place to sleep tonight?”

“What’d you mean?” The kid regarded him wearily. 

“I have a guest bedroom in my apartment. You can sleep there for a few days if you need to. I could also help you find your father if you want.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I am a private detective.”

The kid’s face fell a little bit. “I don’t have any money-“

“It’s fine. I’d do this for free.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. So, how about it? You could have a nice warm meal, a hot shower, and a bed to sleep on. If you’re too uncomfortable I can take you to the closest youth shelter instead.”

The teen was quiet as he looked at the ground. After a few seconds of silence, he looked back up at Roy and nodded. “Ok, thank you. I’d like to go home with you.”

Roy smiled. “Good.” He held out his hand. “My name’s Raymond Wayne, but my friends call me Ray.” 

“Nice to meet you, Raymond.” The teen returned the smile and shook his hand. 

The smile caused an involuntary shiver to go down Roy’s spine and he felt something in his reptilian brain go on the defensive automatically. Why did that smile feel so familiar…?

“I’m Connor Hawke.”


End file.
